


The problem with flirting

by Steinbjoern



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alien Biology, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Mild Smut, Sexual Humor, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-10-18 21:37:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 31,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10625634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steinbjoern/pseuds/Steinbjoern
Summary: Jaal is the hottest new item in town, and he has a knack for flirting with the ladies. Unfortunately, some of the ladies take things too far, while others tries and fails to grab his attention. What to do when the one you wanted, now wants something less? And one you ignored has laid eyes on somebody else?My annoyed interpretation of the shameless flirting aboard the Tempest/Nomad, and what can happen if you don't pay attention. Seen in a humorous light, of course.





	1. The problem with flirting

Her first meeting with Jaal could have gone better. The handshake didn’t appear to be a universal form of greeting, and their clumsy attempt at forming something that resembled the angaran greeting was only topped by his parting comment: “I can kill you in your sleep.” Jaal said it in his deep baritone voice that promised he would make real his threat if she did something that displeased him. She made a mental note of asking SAM to keep tabs on their newest crew member, for the sake of its own survival as well as hers. This relationship was going to be a real work in progress.

 

On their first visit to the Nexus she thought things were looking up. Jaal was pleasantly surprised at all the information in the cultural center he was allowed to access without any suspicious questions as to his intentions. Ryder made a point of making polite conversation with the angara, seeing as he grew on her every time they talked. That feeling however, was not mutual.

“I hope you don’t take offense when I start with the asari,” he said gravely.

“None at all,” she replied. It wasn’t like a human pathfinder with a human developed AI and a salarian pilot had made their way through the scourge to visit the angara should matter. All that mattered was the azure. She sighed. Men were all the same, cross the dark void of death, and surely the Grim Reaper would start with the asari.

“Have fun,” she said and headed for Operations to chat with Kandros about his APEX-teams.

 

She always made a point of chatting with all of her crew member before and after a mission, and Jaal was no exception. Except _he_ did his best to avoid _her_. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he either had no time or responded with a short answer and the follow up “That is enough for now,” or “we shall see.” It was like talking to a prerecorded hanar enkindling doll, and it was annoying as fuck. It was too bad, he seemed to be well informed and intelligent, and those startling big blue ponds he called eyes weren’t bad either, but at least he was as gruff and little forthcoming with everyone, right?

The outpost Podromos was in trouble again, and this time it was a large kett base that needed to be taken out. One of the outcasts named Bane Massani had given them some pointers, but also called her a ‘little duck,’ which made her fume, Peebee snicker and Jaal frown. Not how she wanted to appear to their representative to the angara. There was a long drive to the kett base, and she drove relatively slow to prevent Peebee from complaining too much. Ryder was greatly surprised when Jaal suddenly broke the silence. Naturally the topic was the interesting nature of the asari, which Peebee was only to happy to encourage. They even ventured so far as to discuss the glossiness of his ‘neck flaps,’ which was more information in a car ride than she’d been able to extract from him in a week’s worth of trying on the Tempest. Ryder had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She was fighting an uphill battle if she was competing against Peebee. But this wasn’t a competition, anyway. She just found him more interesting than he did her. No harm, no foul.

 

On Havarl, Peebee had refused to come out of the escape pod because she was working on her super secret project, and Ryder let her off the hook. The remnant was Peebee’s greatest passion, even greater than flirting with everything on legs on the Tempest, and the sole reason she came aboard in the first place, it was only reasonable she had some time to study. Havarl was the birthplace of the angara, and Ryder asked Jaal and Vetra to be part of the ground team. They had barely made it out of the researcher’s camp to look for the missing scientists when Jaal opened his mouth to speak. The topic was, naturally, asari.

“Vetra, I catch Peebee looking at me, frequently.”

“Peebee likes new shiny things. Uh, and why not, you’re really interesting.”

Ryder groaned silently. This could have no good outcome. Jaal said nothing else, besides commenting on Vetra moving like a dancer on the battlefield. That boy was really smooth.

 

Back on the Tempest a few days later, Liam asked for a special requisition and refused to tell her what it was all about. When she tracked him down later, he was standing shirtless in his workspace, tinkering with an alien armor. Ryder was about to say something, when someone brushed past her. At first she thought SAM might have shorts-circuited her vision, but it was Jaal, butt naked and purple, sauntering past her without a care in the world. She made an offhanded comment about the gunshow being for her benefit, and Jaal pretended not to understand, but was called out by Liam. They started comparing armor, and Ryder caught a handful om glimpses of Jaal’s groin area. It was just natural to be curious, she figured, and from what she could see, his dick was neither external or internal, but was sheathed in a vertical crevice on his groin, the upper part being of the same purple color of the rest of his body, while the lower parts still in the sheath, was lighter. She wondered if the underside was completely white. Luckily, Jaal didn’t seem to notice her biology studies, and kept answering Liam’s question while denying him the opportunity to wear his Rofjinn. As the strange cultural exchange drew to a close, Jaal pretended not to know that this thing hadn’t been sanctioned, and Liam was left holding the bag. Ryder hadn’t noted what a tight body Liam had before today, and she mock denied him the opportunity to take his shirt back on. He laughed and played along. At last, here was someone who’s cultural code she didn’t have to double check with SAM every minute. It felt like a load off her mind, and she decided that she’d perhaps spend more time with Liam in the future.

 

They went back to Havarl to restart the planet’s atmosphere stabilizer, and when they were waiting for the monoliths to activate, Jaal found this the appropriate time to continue his earlier conversation with Vetra.

“Vetra, remember when I told you that Peebee was looking at me frequently?”

“Yeah? Is it getting annoying? Want me to say something?”

“No, no, it’s just that, lately, I find myself looking back.”

“Huh.”

Ryder found this to be a relief. At least now she knew. Peebee and Jaal. It made sense. The asari could probably mate with his species, as they’d playfully discussed earlier when they thought themselves not overheard. Even Gil had noted Peebee’s interest in the angara, and Ryder had no intention of embroiling herself into a cat fight over him. Truth be told, if she was to judge angara from a personal viewpoint, she found his boss Evfra to maybe be worth that fight, but Liam seemed like a lot of fun too. He was also available and funny. And he’d promised her a beer.

 

The planet was stabilized and the researchers at Pelaav had retrieved their information on Havarl’s history and Avela Kjar had her helmet. Ryder felt pretty good about helping these people, and they in turn seemed grateful and happy, even at the strange aliens that pretty much ran around on their homeworld as they saw fit. They’d even made progress on finding the turian ark. She made a point of talking to everyone and lending a helping hand where she could, whether it was finding a lost angara or defending against the Roekaar. More than that, she was looking forward to spending an evening with Liam on their return trip on the Tempest. She climbed aboard and Jaal messaged her over the intercom that he wanted to speak to her. Huh. That was strange. She decided to make a short visit just to say hello before joining Liam in that creepy couch of his and relaxing after a long day.

Jaal seemed happier than she’d ever seen him earlier. Perhaps he would be open for a couple of questions this time, not only hello and please go away, as was his wont. Ryder opened with biology. This was apparently the worst choice, and he refused to talk about it. When she asked if he was really that blank on the subject, he asked her right back about the human eye, and upon reciting the best answer she could remember from her biology class, he called her pathetic. Ryder forced a smile, and told him if there was nothing else, she was a little busy at the moment, but perhaps they could talk later. The angara seemed startled at this, but Ryder just about had it with the difficult alien. He had no problems talking to anyone else on this ship, and she was getting tired of this crap.

The sight of cold beer and Liam’s welcoming smile was like heaven, and she dropped into the couch and made herself comfortable. This was the way things was supposed to work.

 

On another part of the ship, Peebee was talking to Gil in hushed tones.

“I don’t know what to do about it. I mean, it was exciting at first, but I think he wants me to be one of the many mothers, stuck in that green place, Havarl, for the rest of his life, massaging his flaps.”

“Aw, it’s not so bad,” Gil cooed, every tenth year or so you get to live on Aya for a short while.”

“Not helping, Gil,” she hissed.

“I’m not here to help, I’m here to pile on. You know how angaras like large families? You’ll be waddling around like a pregnant penguin for years.”

“Shut it, or I’m telling Kallo what changes you’re doing right now.”

Gil merely laughed louder.

“Whatever. So I need to get him away from me and latch him onto someone else.”

“Like who? Look, I think you’re overthinking this. The guy flirts with everyone, it’s not like he has his eyes set only on you.”

“I have to make sure of that. Don’t want any deep entanglements at my stage of life, I mean, I’m not even 600 yet. Nowhere near the matron stage, I need to fly, I need to stretch my wings, I need to-..”

“Hide from Jaal?” came Gil’s dry reply.

“Exactly. And I think I have a solution, but I might need your help.”

“This should be good,” Gil said and crossed his arms.

“Well, Suvi is not into guys, Vetra is too busy with her sister, Cora is possible, but too hung up on her duties to make it easy for me to fix them up.”

“Uh-huh,” Gil drawled, “sound reasoning so far.”

“Ryder is the logical choice. I mean, she thinks he’s interesting, she basically restarted his homeworld and is charming in that boring ‘ _oh, look at me, I’m saving the galaxy-_ way _._ ’

“Uh, riiight.” Gil looked doubtful.

“What? It’s the best choice.”

“Yes, if it wasn’t for the fact that Ryder is currently huddled with Liam on his couch, sipping beer, while the angara in question is languishing in his quarters. Their conversation did not go well, from what I heard.”

“What do you mean, you heard?” Peebee peered at him.

“I know this ship, I know where to patch in if I want gossip.”

“Great, now you have to help me! Please, I can’t work like this, knowing he’s looking at me all the time.”

Gil studied her face, then smiled again. “Tell you what, poker’s getting a little boring, I always win. I’ll help you, but we have to make a wager. I’m betting this thing will blow up in your face, and I want front row seats for that.”

“Hah, you’re on! There’s not a cupid in this world that can outsmart me.”

Gil grinned and pulled up a feed of Ryder and Liam necking on the couch.

“Dammit,” Peebee exclaimed. “Doesn’t matter, I can still do this.”

“The game is on,” Gil said haughtily and held out his hand to Peebee. They shook vigorously, as true romance conspirators should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else bothered by the way Jaal practically drools over every female on the ship, while you have to drag words out of him in the beginning? This is my reenactment of that, with a few liberties taken with dialogue and plot lines. :D
> 
> Story will jump from place to place. 
> 
> Won't be a long work, as I have S&B hovering over me at all times.


	2. The best place to ask..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil is fleecing Peebee, Ryder is facing defeat gallantly and Jaal is confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm aware that the storyline is a bit jumbled, but you were warned. It's just for fun, people :D

“So Ryder, have you been to talk to Jaal lately?” Peebe said casually, fiddling with some remnant scraps.

“Nope. Not that I’d miss much, all he ever says is ‘That’s enough, until we’ve established a better trust of each other,” came Ryders muffled reply from under the Nomad.

“Really? I always thought he was quite the chatterbox. Perhaps you should go see him now?”

Peebee wasn’t giving up without a fight, and Gil’s snickering voice in her ear only encouraged her.

“Right now I’m trying to dislodge a rather large piece of anointed kett from my springs, and I really haven’t got the time.

Peebee heard the sound of cracking bone and a small curse from Ryder.

“Okay, then after?”

More sounds of banging, and Ryder threw out some bloody pieces of dead kett.

“What’s this all about? If he needs a favor, he just has to ask. Or send an email. Preferably that.” She scraped the last pieces away from the steel, then crawled back out. “That was most of it. Time to sanitize.”

“Why do you say preferably email?” Peebee was relentless and followed Ryder into the kitchen.

“Because the last time I talked to the man, he called me pathetic for asking about his species' biology. I need that kind of supporter like I need a hole in my head.”

Peebe groaned, and Gil was laughing in her earpiece.

“Why don’t you go talk to him, Peebee? He seems to have taken a fancy to you.”

Ryder didn’t see the twitches in the asari’s face since she was standing over the sink.

“I, uh.. I’m very busy. With my project. And stuff.”

“Well, so am I. We have to get the angara to trust us, and the way to their hearts is not through Jaal, but Evfra and their Moshae.” She turned around to face Peebee. “Say, what do you think of Evfra? He’s rather handsome for an angara, isn’t he? Ocean blue color, those big scars on his face, stern demeanor..” Ryder got a dreamy expression on her face, and Peebee felt the urge to squash that at once. Wrong angara.

“Jaal has scars too.”

“Yeah, but that’s on those.. neck flaps? Not the same.”

“Jaal’s is bigger.”

“What? Jeezes, Peebe. Nobody is taking Jaal away from you, relax,” Ryder said in a soothing tone.

Gil was now snorting with laughter, and Peebee considered jamming a piece of remnant tech up his personal drive core.

“Me and Jaal is soooo not a thing,” she said. “I’d never consider settling down for the next centuries, at least. When I want something, I go get it. But I probably won’t keep it.”

Ryder have her a skeptical look. “Really? Then perhaps you should give him a hint about that before he gets too close. I know I’d hate it if Liam suddenly told me to sod off.”

“Oh.. So you and Liam, is that a thing yet?”

“Uhm, not yet, but we’re.. thinking about stuff.”

“Thinking is good. No point in rushing into things that can become like a dead beaver around your neck later.”

“Dead… beaver?” Ryder raised an eyebrow.

“You know what I mean,” Peebee scoffed. Things were not going according to plan.

“I’m.. not sure I do. I’ll just keep thinking about things. You better think too.”

“Yeah yeah, don’t get your boxer in a knot.”

“Knickers in a twist?” came Gil’s reply in Peebee’s ear.

“Just shut up,” she said aloud, and Ryder raised her hands and backed away.

“Hey, you’re the one that followed me in here. I’m just going to.. check my email. Bye.”

“Wow, you’re quite the matchmaker,” Gil said in her earpiece. “I’ll say this round goes in my favor. You better transfer more credits to the betting account.”

“Fine. This is not over,” Peebee murmured through gritted teeth.

After their departure from Havarl, Ryder got several emails from various angara The one that touched her the most was from Amurd, the sage reunited with his family. She hoped that she and Scott would one day be a real family again when he woke up. There was also a mail from Jaal. It’s tone was stilted and formal, relaying some flimflam about trust and life changes, but the interesting part was of Evfra. He was impressed by her? Now that was useful information. She quickly perused the last lines and sent it in the archive. Jaal was Jaal. She doubted he’d changed much since yesterday.

Voeld was a huge ice world, and the distances they had to cover was made a lot easier by the Nomad. Jaal had the annoying habit of falling asleep on her shoulder, but Peebee was determined to change his affections in a new direction as soon as possible. The thing was, Jaal wasn’t cooperating.

“I’ve grown very close to you, Peebee. And this whole team, really.”

In the rear view mirror she could she Ryder’s sarcastic smile, and knew the closeness he referred to did not encompass the pathfinder. He could be so dense sometimes.  
“Yeah? Well, you should keep some distance. Don’t loose yourself.”

Jaal looked at he with a confused expression. “No, no, I feel stronger for it. More sure of myself.”

“Really? Well, you _sure_ take up a lot of place back here. Your thighs are massive.”

The Nomad veered off the road and an unmistakable snort was heard from Ryder.

Jaal coughed. “Great. Now we’re both uncomfortable.”

 

Ryder made her rounds among the ship again, the highlight of which was to pry poker tips from Gil and flirt with Liam. When the turn came to their resident angara, she practically dragged her feet to his spot in the hold.

“Hi.”

“Hello.”

“Can I ask you just a few more questions?”

“We won’t know until we try,” came the short response from Jaal.

“Actually, SAM is patching through a message from the Nexus. Have to go. Sorry, Jaal. Talk later?”

Ryder was too tired to make up a better excuse. When she traveled up the lift, she heard him go at it again over the intercom.

“You have such fire in your eyes, Peebee. Like you were born to come out here.”

She rolled her eyes at Gil as she passed him, and he returned it with an almost wolfish smile of his own. Ah well, it wasn’t like there was a lack of rapports to write for Director Tann.

From his console, Gil made two of his fingers waddle like a bird over the worktable in Peebee’s direction. She glared at him with cold blooded murder in her eyes, but transferred more credits to the allotted account. That angara was going to bankrupt her if she didn’t deflect his intentions soon.

 

Their main mission was to rescue the Moshae, but as usual they became caught up in many small detours and requests from resident angaras looking for help by any means necessary. They staged a rescue for some captured resistance fighters, and Ryder made the choice of saving the Yevara, a choice Jaal was glad to have removed from his hands. Now, before the assault on the kett base, he found himself staring more often at the small human running point with her big shotgun.  
She’d proven herself a reliable ally, and he wished he could tell her that in person, but after their last discussion about biology, she hadn’t come by his quarters any more. For some reason that hurt more than Peebee saying he had large thighs. The conversation hadn’t gone very well, after refusing to answer questions when she came by earlier, he’d called her pitiful and smiled at her when she asked about his biology. On another occasion he’d said he wasn’t sure he could satisfy her curiosity, but was perfectly willing to answer most questions she wished to ask him. The problem was, she never asked any and left him standing there, eager to share his knowledge, but with no outlet. There was surely some great cultural transgression here, but he failed to pinpoint where. And now she avoided him. Perhaps he could make her some lotion as a reparation gift? Did humans do that?  
Ryder gave the order to advance, and he focused on the rescue. He could think of lotions later.

 

“Destroy the facility.” The order came directly from the Moshae, but Ryder hesitated. She looked back at the kett base, and Jaal knew her thoughts was on the same matter as his, all those lives inside that weren’t exalted yet. He had to speak up.  
“No! Those angara are our compatriots, our scientists, our fighters, our strength.” Jaal met Ryder’s eyes, and pleaded silently not to kill all the angara below. She wavered but a moment, then turned to the cardinal and ordered her to release his people. He breathed a sigh of relief. She trusted his judgment in a way he didn’t fully trust his own yet. The Moshae glared at him, but was too strained to chastise him further. The cardinal gloated over their future exaltation, and never saw the shotgun blast that parted her head from her body. Ryder stared at him, daring him to judge her for shooting an unsuspecting opponent in the back. Jaal said nothing. He didn’t pity the kett one iota, but he felt unnerved that such a small creature like Ryder could decide the fate of so many on a whim. “Thank you, Ryder.” He didn’t know what else to say.

 

The pathfinder had called Evfra again after she rescued the Moshae, and during their vid-call it became obvious that the leader of the resistance grudgingly accepted her position as an ally of the angara. To his great surprise, Jaal noted that the pathfinders tone with Evfra was light and teasing, despite the gravity of the situation. Evfra called her bold and a little arrogant, comparing her with himself. He’d heard that kind of banter before, between Allia and his elder brother, before she left him in the lurch. The thought of Ryder becoming closer with Evfra de Tershaav was not one he favored.

The Moshae’s return to Aya was every bit as glorious as Jaal hoped it would be. He could see a new hope form in the faces of angara throughout the city, how most of them beamed at the crew of the Tempest and some long looks from some of the resident females landed on himself. He did not have time for that, because a greater obstacle was about to present itself. Evfra would have him leave the Tempest and rejoin the resistance in some minor capacity. He was a great fighter, but had never advanced through the ranks like his brothers and sisters. On the Tempest, he felt like part of something greater, like they were doing something important. And he had made new friends, friends that saw him for who he was, not the long history of the Ama Daravs. Then there was the pathfinder. Jaal didn’t want to leave with things between them so distant. If he remained on Aya, he would likely never see her again. Evfra would see her often, though. The thought weighed on his mind more than it should. His path became clear. He would ask to remain on the Tempest, and ask advice from a man who’d lived through centuries of heartbreak.  
Who better to ask than Nakmor Drack?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes, what could possibly go wrong when asking the sage-like creature of Nakmor Drack for romantic advice? Quite a few tings, as it turns out. Stay tuned :D


	3. Is probably not a krogan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal takes advice from an ancient love guru, and Peebee and Gil try to outwit each other.

“Ryder? Why on Tuchanka would you be interested in Ryder?” The krogan peered his yellow slits at him, but Jaal stood his ground. He’d cornered the old warlord in Med Bay while Lexi was fetching something from storage.

“Why not? She’s a wonderful woman, fascinating, and a brilliant risk-taker. I think she’s-..”

“Yeah yeah, I know all that,” Drack said with more than a hint of sarcasm, “but why would that interest you? You’ve never shown any interest towards humans before? Last I heard, you were telling Peebee about the possibility of mating her, and she disappeared like a pyjak in a varren den.”

“Peebee and I are not going to engage in mating, it was a hypothetical matter,” Jaal said stiffly.

“Riiight,” Drack leered, “struck out with that one. Then who was next on the list? Ah, yes, Vetra. The strong and independent woman who protects her family.”

“She is,” Jaal protested. “There is nothing wrong in acknowledging the outstanding qualities of your friends.”

“Friends, huh,” Drack grinned. “Yeah, you seem to be a pretty friendly guy. So why not our little pathfinder?”

“I believe I just told you, I find her interesting and-..” Jaal tried, but Drack interrupted again.

“Couldn’t be bothered to play nice until she did stuff for ya? Whats’ your angle this time? Resistance needs another suicidal rescue mission? Want her to clear out another world for ya?”

“No, and I resent what you’re implying,” Jaal said, feeling offended.

“You know, Ryder is one of the few humans out here that actually likes krogans,” Drack said, ignoring the offended angara. “She’s helping me track down a corrupt Nexus official just because I asked her to. So if anyone is planning to to something untoward to that squishy little human, I would get a little resentful myself.”

Drack got on his feet and stood in front of Jaal, his enormous figure towering over the angara with a reptilian yellow gaze.

“I...think I get your point,” Jaal said nervously, tiptoeing backwards.

“Good!” Drack boomed. “Now that we cleared that away, what did you want to know?”

Jaal exhaled, trying not to think about how close he came to angering half a ton of krogan warlord.

“I would like Ryder to know that I have an interest in her,” he said.

“Well, shit, that’s easy. You’ve expressed an interest in the asari and the turians, now you just have to do the same thing towards humans. But you’re late in the game, kid, might want to be very direct.”

“Late in what game?”

“Look, Ryder has no idea you like humans in that way, so you have to make that clear. Be direct. Be obvious. Use compliments, all females like that. Just don’t expect her to be swept off her feet today.”

“I think I might need a little more advice on this,” Jaal said and made notes on his omni-tool.

“Sure, I got nothin’ to do until Lexi gets done ridin’ me about my prosthetic.”

“So, compliments?”

They talked for a full hour until Lexi returned, and Jaal vanished back into his quarters to make sense of all the wisdom bestowed upon him by Drack.

 

 

**A few days later**

Lately Ryder had been noticing something strange among the members of her crew. It was like an oncoming storm, but without the upheavals and wind gusts that normally accompanied a squall. They were unusually quiet and polite to one another, but if she knew anything about them, this would not last.

Gil was his usual charming self, but with a perma-grin plastered on his face. He looked like a benign version of the Cheshire cat, and this happiness drove Kallo crazy. The pilot had taken to checking and rechecking for any change made to the Tempest’s engine or design, and so far he’d found none.

Nevertheless, he continued to constantly mumble his paranoid theories to Suvi, and the poor girl had gone to Lexi to get some discreet earplugs. It wasn’t like Ryder could intervene in this, what was she supposed to do, tell Gil to be miserable? She’d keep an eye on things in case they got worse, but other than that, this thing needed to play itself out.

Peebee was her usual exuberant self, showing up whenever Ryder sat down for a cup of coffee to promote the sex appeal of the angara. Ryder had a good mind to press the release button on the asari’s escape pod just to shut her up, but those things were expensive. She’d just have to suffer through this until Peebee had actually shagged that angara. Perhaps the experience would be so disappointing she'd never mention it again. One could only hope.

Thankfully, Jaal had been absent from his usual intercom bantering. He still seemed miffed at her for leaving the decision about him staying on the team with Evfra, but really, Evfra was the boss of the resistance. A very larger than life and dominant boss, Ryder reflected while smiling. Perhaps it was time to visit Liam again. He seemed to be down for a quick roll in the hay with no strings attached.

“Pathfinder, you have new email,” SAM chimed in, and she got up to check. It was from Cora. She wanted to go back to Voeld and check for the signal from Periphona to find the asari ark. Ryder sighed. It wasn’t that the arks weren’t important, it was just that Jaal would probably insist on coming along on the ground team, as he often carried messages from the resistance.

Ryder pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed again. It would be best to just get it over with, like ripping away a band-aid. She called Kallo over the comms and told him to plot a course back to Voeld. Two minutes later a message from Jaal appeared in her inbox.

 

_Pathfinder Ryder of the Human Initiative:_

_I would like to be a part of the ground team for Voeld. It is entirely up to you, of course._

 

_Jaal_

 

And there it was. An overly polite mild flavor of the passive-aggressiveness she’d grown so accustomed to these past weeks. Well, whatever. At least Cora could hold a civil conversation with the man, and Ryder would be spared the endless fawning over the azure.

 

 

Peebee was furious. She’d spent the entire morning deleting hundreds of emails from Gil with attachments of different species of birds either laying eggs or sitting on top of them. He was only doing this to psyche her out, but she would have none of it. If he wasn’t careful, she’d suffocate him on his own playing cards. Apparently that was a thing among asari biotics, according to Cora.

She was on her way down to engineering when she bumped into Jaal. He seemed to have something on his mind regarding his relationships with the other crew members, and with a few careful nudges, she got him to spill the beans.

“Speaking of humans, I find it difficult to find time with the pathfinder. She’s always busy, but seem to find the time to talk to Drack or Gil. Have you noticed this?”

“You can’t really avoid Drack, he’ll just come find you. Gil, well.. Gil keeps the Tempest flying, it's only natural she speaks to him often.” Peebee wondered where he was going with this. Hopefully, he was now taking an interest in Ryder herself, and not just out of his natural curiosity.

“Hmph. I see. It’s just… I would like to get to know her better. She’s interesting, and has a steadfastness of character I find appealing.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Kind of boring, though.”

“Boring? Steadfastness is boring to you?” he asked in a disapproving voice.

Peebee had to struggle to keep down a gleeful grin. Here was her angara-repellant.

“Well, it’s not like I couldn’t stick around a human for a hundred years until they’d died off, but imagine getting stuck with someone like that for a millennium? I’d be bored out of my mind. Sure, you can ditch the kids with the spouse and run off and have fun, but some people frown on that sort of thing.”  
Jaal had a twitch in his right brow. “Yes, I imagine _some_ people would.”

Peebee was ecstatic. Bull’s eye! Now for the kill. “I think Ryder’s very family oriented, she always talks about her brother and her father. A little too much some times.”

“I see. Hopefully she will tell me about them some day,” Jaal said with a hopeful tone. “Now I must prepare for our ground mission. I bid you good day, Peebee.”

Peebee started to head for engineering again, but was blindsided by Lexi, that blue harpy. No amount of complaints got her out of getting dragged into Med Bay for another physical.

 

Ryder was performing one last check on the Nomad when she saw Jaal approach with Drack on his heels. Ryder pretended not to notice and inspected the windows for signs of stress patterns. This baby had soaked up far too many bullets already.

“Just remember what I told you, kid. You’ll do fine,” Drack said in his lowest voice, and it still carried throughout the entire hold. Whatever he’d told Jaal, Ryder didn’t want to know. Above her on the walkway she heard a coughing fit from her engineer.

“Are you okay, Gil?”

Gil continued to cough and splutter with a mad grin on his face. “I’m fine,” he croaked, "I just need to see Peebee," and then he ran off.

Ryder slammed her helmet on and secured the last straps. Really, this place was becoming more like a madhouse every day.

 

By the time Peebee managed to escape the other asari, Gil was jogging in her direction.

“Come to face your defeat, Brodie? By tonight, Ryder will have realized our little angara has the hots for her, and you will be stripped of your ill gotten gains!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, mama bird. Jaal still has to convey his interest in a manner that Ryder understands.” Gil smiled, but Peebee thought she saw a flicker of uncertainty on his face. So much for the great poker face.

“Hah, even he couldn’t mess up this one. He just have to say he finds her interesting and would like to know her better, how difficult is that?”

“We’ll see. I’ll patch into their comms later and we can monitor directly to make sure you don’t cheat.”

“I don’t have to cheat! I never cheat!” Peebee protested vehemently.

“And that look right there is why you’re a lousy poker player,” Gil grinned. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

 

Ryder found the ice roads of Voeld very easy to drive, and the long distances often made her find an inner peace that was difficult to find aboard the Tempest or the Nexus. If not for the kett, this cold world would be quite beautiful despite the dangers. She relaxed into the driver’s seat and double checked the NAV-point. This trip was actually going fairly well. And then, like he'd read her mind, Jaal opened his mouth to speak.

“You are in excellent physical condition, Cora. Better than anyone on the squad.”

Cora was caught completely unawares and chuckled awkwardly. “Thanks. I didn’t realize you were paying attention.”

“The mind wants what the mind… wants,” he said meaningfully and glanced at Ryder in the rear view mirror.

She groaned inwardly. Again? Again?! What was wrong with this guy? Was this the angaran mating season? He was an unstoppable force of flirt. Perhaps she should be happy he’d never expressed an interest in her, since he was probably a carrier of every kind of sexually transmitted disease the angara had.

She kept her eyes on the road, very pointedly not looking back at him in the mirror. Hopefully this was a blip on the radar. Jaal leaned into the middle of the seat, either trying to look out the front window or into the rear view mirror. Cora was feeling the effects of it.

“Scoot over Jaal, you’re taking up my seat. Too hot in here for that.”

Jaal immediately seized the moment. “Do you mean hot or _hhhot?”_

Cora chuckled again. “Just shove over.”

Ryder felt her tight grip on the steering wheel was causing her fingers to go numb. She activated SAM and asked it to relay the latest inventory manifesto on the Tempest from Gil to avoid having to hear more flirting from the back. Just as SAM changed frequency, she could have sworn she heard Gil's hysterical laughter and Peebee’s angry voice, but it was just for a second. Strange. SAM started droning about water supply and containment units for live samples, and Ryder felt relieved she didn’t have to hear any more of Jaal’s newest attempt to bed a crew member. When would he be satisfied? With her gaze firmly fixed on the road again, she never saw a pair of big blue eyes filled with crushed hope stare at her from the backseat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone is beginning to see the error of their ways, but is it too late?
> 
>  
> 
> A bit of shameless self-promotion: If you like Mass Effect and crack-fics, I have another one in my line-up: The Scarlet letter?


	4. Phone home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal is trying hard, Ryder is giving up, Peebee hates Gil and Drack tries to make sense of it all.

Right at this very moment, there was nothing Peebee would like more than to punch Gil right in his smirking face. He was counting his winnings on his omni-tool, and being very ungracious about it.

“And my winning streak goes on,” he said grinning. “”It’s almost no fun taking all your credits this way.”

“Funny. Very funny. How could anyone guess how thick those angaran skulls are? I mean, he basically told me he was interested in her, and then he starts blithering about Cora?! Come on, really?!”

“A few more bets and I’ll be in possession of a prototype of whatever secret project you’re working on,” Gil said happily. “Give us a hint, what is it? Something big? Something scary? Something I can annoy Kallo with?”

“So much pride,” Peebee sneered at Gil. “It will make my victory all the sweeter.”

“Victory? Come on, Peebee, not that I’m not enjoying this, but it’s obvious Jaal will never score with Ryder the way he’s going at it. I think the Archon has a better shot right now.”

“You’re wrong,” Peebee hissed at Gil, and her entire body was starting to shimmer blue. “That moron will romance the pants of Ryder, even if I have to kill him to get it done.”

“Ooookay,” Gil said and made a hasty retreat towards the engine room. “Let me know.”

 

Ryder stepped out of the Nomad and wished she could slam those damned doors. How could one man be so insufferable? She worked her ass of for him and his people, listened to his wishes and fought the good fight on their behalf, yet not one word of praise for her poise or fitness or at the very least least combat efficiency, oh no. But put him in a space with another set of tits and he was all over them. Cora was back at her research station, and the last thing Ryder heard before the doors whooshed shut behind her was Jaal going; “Cora, I trust the initiative is mindful of your potential and brilliance?” Fucking alien. And fuck this. She needed to get laid.

 

“Cora, I trust the initiative is mindful of your potential and brilliance?” Jaal said, prepared to execute the next step of his plan. Now that he’d established his interest in human females, he could move on to the pathfinder. “And Ryder, you are… gone?” He looked around desperately for her, having a sinking feeling in his stomach that this brilliant plan of his had not gone as planned. She’d simply left. And she’d ignored him in the Nomad when he announced his interest in her species.

“I think she’s gone to see Liam,” Cora offered helpfully. “She’s there quite often.”

“How often?” Jaal asked with a poker face worthy of Gil.

“Uhm, I’m not really sure. A lot more than she’s here, anyway.”

“I see. Ah, well, I must.. I must speak to Drack. I have many questions for him.”

“I think he’s in the kitchen. Good luck.”

 

Peebee rolled her eyes and sighed as Gil sauntered into the escape pod. He silently contemplated how much credits he could actually fleece from Peebee before it became daylight robbery. Jaal was a goldmine. Right now Peebee was trying to simmer down from her earlier outburst, and that was precisely the reason he was here. To fan the flames, so to speak.

“About your idea for having Jaal romance the pants off our pathfinder..”

“Yeah? What about it,” Peebee said while making a sketch of some remnant insignia.

“Those pants are already off.”

“What? He nailed it? I mean her?”

“Heh, not exactly. Here’s a short vid-feed I managed to scrounge before SAM locked me out.”

Peebee stared in horror on seven seconds of sweaty couch humping before the vid was abruptly cut.

“Noooo! How can she do this to me? I had such plans!”

“I guess that’s it then. Time to pay up. I’ll have the credits, or the deed for whatever that is,” Gil said and pointed to several pieces of remnant tech strewn over her worktable. Peebee snatched the pieces away and hid them behind her back.

“Never! This is not proof! Just because Ryder is having something fast and cheap with Liam, doesn’t mean that I can’t set this right!”

“Really? You’re going to pawn Jaal off on Ryder after this? How?”

“I’m asari. I can do anything. And Liam can go hang, I haven’t forgotten he called us snotty nanas the other day.”

Gil snorted, but tried to hide it behind a cough. No reason to get Peebee to unleash on him in this small space. “Double or nothing then? And I don’t usually make bets with people who are penniless.”

“Penniless?”

“Have no credits.”

“Even if I have to shake my ass at Kadara, I’ll get you the credits,” Peebee snarled at Gil. “Get out, I need to think.”

Gil grinned again when he left the pod, making sure that Kallo saw it before he left the cockpit. How had he passed the time before Jaal came aboard? He had no idea.

 

“So let me get this straight, you spent the entire Nomad ride complimenting.. Cora?” Drack said slowly, peering at Jaal like he was insane.

“Yes. To establish a baseline of human interest,” Jaal explained just as slowly. “Then, having created a perfect opportunity to widen my horizon, I was about to tell Ryder how strange and wonderful I think she is, but she went away before I had the chance. Is this not strange?”

“Not half as strange as the weirdo sitting in front of me,” Drack said with an incredulous stare.

“If this is what counts as courting among the angara, it’s a wonder you didn’t die out before the arrival of the kett.”

“That is.. a hurtful remark, Nakmor Drack,” Jaal said and got up to leave.

Surpisingly fast for his age, Drack threw out his hand and grabbed the angara’s leg, holding him down on his seat.

“Not quite as hurtful as it is to be ignored in favor of others, be it in love or in a resistance,” Drack growled. “Someone at this table should know that.”

Jaal blinked several times, considering the old krogan’s words. “I.. think I understand,” he finally said.

“Do you? ‘Cause you said that last time, and look what happened.”

For some reason Drack seemed to loom even when sitting down. Jaal wanted to move away from him to a safe distance, but his massive thigh was caught in the krogan’s steel trap of a hand.

“I understand. I will… I will direct my efforts to Ryder personally, and not through complimenting anyone else.”

“Grmph..” Drack let go of his thigh, but wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answer. “I’ll be watching you, Jaal Ama Darav. I don’t trust you with my little human yet.”

“Understood.” Jaal got up and walked back to his quarters with a slight limp. He needed a new plan.

 

In his quarters he ran into a pissed off Peebee. “What the hell was that?”

“Good afternoon, Peebee. Was what?”

“You lusting after Cora when you told me you liked Ryder? She is my friend, you know, and I don’t like your games.”

“Aren’t I late in the game? This is what Drack said?” Jaal looked confused. Alien liaising was hard work.

“Game? You’re not even on the field! You’re outside the girl’s shower room with a pair of binoculars!”

“Are all Milky Way races this prone to idioms?” He sighed. “We must make improvements to our translators.”

“You, my friend, need help. And I’m going to provide it.” Peebee crossed her arms and stared at him.

“Hmph, I’m not certain that I do, friend.” Jaal could feel his bioelectricity give off small warning sparks. It was considered a sign from the ancestors. Peebee’s offered help was not a good thing.

“You don’t have a say in the matter. Your ways of attracting a female would have them all running away screaming before you’ve even removed your undersuit.”

“This is not true,” Jaal said, vaguely offended. “Ryder likes my body form. I saw as much, when I had my ‘ _gun show_ ’ with Liam.”

“Gun show? Wait, Ryder’s already seen your junk?” Peebee sounded shocked.

“I assure you, it is not _junk_ ,” he replied testily. “It performs more than adequately.”

Peebee was seized by giggles. “I bet. Sooo, was she impressed?”

“I think she appreciates the angaran shape,” he said vaguely.

“Okay, I’ll give you that one. But it’s still a long step between having seen it and wanting to touch it.”

If blushing had been an angaran trait, Jaal would have changed color instantly. Peebee was incredibly direct.

“Tomorrow we’ll make Ryder see how good the rest of you are, you’ll see.” She swung around and traipsed out of there.

Small crackling sparks erupted from Jaal’s fingertips. This would definitely not be good.

 

The next morning, Ryder woke with a relaxed mind. It wasn’t really professional to sleep with one of her crew, but Liam was a grown man and they decided to take things as they came, not making any promises. It felt nice, having someone that wasn’t buried under a mountain of cultural complications. She got herself a cup of coffee in the kitchen and went on to do her usual round. In the Nomad hold Peebee and Jaal was doing some repairs on a piece of remnant tech. Ryder sighed. Back to Peebee, huh. Well, at least the man had a hobby, but not one he’d allow her to watch. On the walkway the hulking figure of Drack was reading something on a datapad. The krogan would be her next stop after Gil, if she could just sneak past these two.

“Ryder!” Peebee called out.

Too late.

“Good morning, Ryder,” Jaal added with a smile.

“Good morning, you two. Working on something special?”

“Yes, I am tinkering with plants and alcohol to make scents and lotions.” Jaal sounded proud.

“Doesn’t Jaal smell nice, Ryder? Come over here and smell him.”

Both Ryder and Jaal stared at Peebee like she’d just asked them to hop into bed together.

Ryder forced a smile and stepped up to Jaal, taking a careful sniff. To her surprise, he did smell nice.

When she told him that, the angara straightened himself and smiled broadly. “I like to smell nice. I take pride in all aspects of my person.”

“That’s.. great, Jaal.”

“Jaal _is_ a great guy, Ryder. Except for the snoring. Might keep you awake for all the wrong reasons.”

The asari was acting weird, but Jaal was even weirder. He stared at Peebee with an almost pleading look in his eyes. Did he think she would mind that he was involved with Peebee?

“Uh, that’s great. I have to go now,” she said and backed away slowly.

“Wait, can’t you stay and talk some more?” Jaal sounded so sincere, but the glare he got from Peebee told a different story. She was not wanted here. “Sorry, Jaal. Have to make my rounds.”

Judging by the shadow overhead, Drack had heard most of that exchange. Another day in the loony bin. Ryder shook her head and went to find Gil.

 

Jaal was devastated. For thirty seconds, things were looking up, Peebee’s crazy idea of having Ryder smell him hadn’t backfired. Ryder said he smelled nice and smiled at him, then Peebee jumped in and ruined the whole affair by talking about his bed manners. As if he would not be a suitable companion for a human. Asking advice from the krogan and the asari had been a mistake.

He would call the only one that had never steered him wrong, his true mother Sahuna Ama Darav.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I haven't much more flirt-banter to put in the story, we're closing in on the home stretch. Will Jaal succeed in seducing Ryder? Or will Peebee and Gil succeed in ruining everything?
> 
> Stay tuned!


	5. Mother knows best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal has troubling dreams, Ryder has a wandering eye and Sahuna has high hopes for the future, if only her son could play along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little NSFW with my personal take on angara physiology

 

_Jaal gazed into Sarah’s warm eyes as she enjoyed his fingers caressing every part of her body. She liked his touch, but would she care for him_ _?_ _Love him?_ _His_ _alien_ _body? He had dips and_ _divots_ _where she had curves, and_ _his cock was always half-sheated in it’s crevice when not aroused, nothing like the images of human male_ _s_ _in the cultural center. Would she think the slightly rougher texture on the top ridge was unseemly? Would it be uncomfortable for her? Liam had told him that a human had very little control over their_ _penises_ _. An angara could flex and move his non-erect cock at will, it was almost prehensile, and this helped in stimulating a female to open for them. Only when the female was ready, would the male allow a bioelectric surge through his abdomen to increase bloodflow, allowing his cock to become engorged. Would Ryder flee at the sight like Peebee said? The_ _upper_ _texture on_ _his_ _cock had the same scatter pattern as his face, but while the upper_ _part_ _were purple, the underside was pale. He didn’t dare stare too_ _long_ _at the girl under him, in fear of frightening her off. Instead he kissed her again and again, each time with more fervor. She moaned and opened her legs to him, and he closed his eyes and let the familiar bioelectric hum surge trough his chest and his thigh muscles. He was ready. He hoped she would be_ _his, and his alone_ _._ _Jaal_ _thrust into her with a mighty push.._ And woke with a start as he crashed his brow into the bulkhead of the Tempest. Skkut! Cursed stars! Jaal rubbed his bruised head and sighed into the dark. This could not continue. The woman tormented him even in his private dreams. They had to return to Aya, as his mother’s call signal would be clearest from there. He sent an email to the pathfinder, not caring it was the middle of the night cycle. They had to go to Aya, before he lost his mind.

 

Upon Jaal’s request, they were now on their way back to the green city. Apparently he had some pressing family business to attend to, and Director Tann had been _kind_ enough to ask her to run errands for the angaran ambassador. The rest of the crew also needed a short break, and this was as good a time as any. On their arrival there, Ryder received a message from a supply pilot named Merixus, who wanted a word with her before she entered the city. As it turned out, Merixus asked her to run errands as well. The role of pathfinder apparently had tons of small print, making her the finder of fruit, seeds and water filters as well. With Tann this was mostly annoying, but Merixus, well.. She’d always had a soft spot for turians, and this one in particular had the most amazing chameleon colored plates she’d ever seen. The thought of this gorgeous hunk of hide and plates moaning on top of her in his flanging voice made her shudder despite the warm climate of Aya, but of course it couldn’t last.

“Was that turian you were speaking to a male?” came Jaal’s curious voice.

Great. Now he ruined her daydreams as well.

“Who, Merixus? Oh yes, he’s very much male.” Ryder smiled absentmindedly.

“Hmmph. What do you mean, _very much_?”

“Did you see the color of his plates? Shimmering green, like the Aurora Borealis back in the Milky Way. Northern lights, we called it in the common vernacular. Beautiful!” she replied, before she eyed her destination and picked up the pace. She was several meters ahead of them when Jaal made a dismissive cough.

“Looked sick to me. Like a long dead kett. Not at all beautiful.” He was already punching Aurora Borealis into the search box on his omni-tool.

“Heh-heh-heh. Not quite the answer you were looking for, eh kid?” Drack flashed him a very toothy smile and waded through the crowd after Ryder.

 

Jaal watched as Ryder disappeared into the newly formed embassy, and made his way to the lookout pavilion above the green valley. Not five seconds after he’d called his mother did she answer with a happy ‘Jaal!”

“Hello mother. It is nice to speak with you again.”

“Oh, don’t you try that with me. What’s wrong?”

“I never said something’s wrong.”

“You didn’t have to, you’re my favorite, I just know.”

In the background he heard Lathouls’ vocie going ‘But I thought I was your favorite?”

“Shush, dearest, I’m talking to your brother. So Jaal, tell me your struggles.”

“Ahem. Well.. I have met a woman,” he began, but his mother almost squealed with joy.

“Oh, finally, thank the skies. I was beginning to think you would never find your taoshay, or that I’d have to barter you away to one of the neighbor girls.”

“I am.. not that old!” Jaal bristled.

“Off course you aren’t Jaal. Now, who is this woman?”

“It’s the human pathfinder,” Jaal said tentatively and expected an eruption. It came, but not the one he was expecting.

“The one who saved the Moshae? That is amazing, Jaal! And.. she likes you too?”

“Ah, well.. I think she might not, and I am not sure why.”

“Jaal, what have you done?” His mother’s voice was stern yet gentle.

“I have done nothing,” he said defensively.

“Then tell me what you haven’t done, from the beginning. I will not be around to find you a mate forever, you know.”

Jaal sighed. “Yes, mother.” He began his tale from coming aboard the Tempest.

 

 

Ryder had just run far to many errands for both the angara and the Nexus, when Drack flagged her down and insisted she have a quiet drink with him she grasped the opportunity with both hands.

She tried to engage Drack in some small talk, but he insisted they listened to the beauty of this golden world and drank in silence, claiming it was an old krogan tradition. Ryder was exhausted, and a moments rest in good company wasn’t the worst way to spend an afternoon. She closed her eyes and took in the sounds and smells of Aya, listening to the chatter of the city.

“They should put Jaal on every recruitment poster. Did he ever contact you?”

The mention of that familiar name made Ryder pay attention.

The angaran woman chuckled. “No. That man is impervious to flirtation.”

“Why are the good ones always so dense?”

That man is impervious to flirtation

“I heard he had a thing for the repository’s curator. Never went anywhere. She’s just as thick.”

“So.. Jaal’s available.”

“You’re hopeless, you know that?”

The two angaran women vanished in the crowd.

“Thanks for the drink, Ryder. You should talk to the others too.” Drack tossed down his drink and ordered another two. Ryder was on no mood to get drunk in front of the entire Resistance while on Aya, and decided to take him up on his word.

“Uh, okay. Think I saw Vetra in the market.”

“All of your crew, Ryder. Can’t treat them differently, that creates resentment. I for one, can be really resentful for lots of things.”

“All right, old man. Just stand here and try to look inconspicuous. You’re a real eyesore, don’t want to scare the angara.”  
“You’re one to talk, squishy human. Now get going.”

 

She talked to most of the crew members, before realizing she was missing one. Jaal. It was almost like she repressed the fact that he was on her team. She walked down the street trying to spot him, while contemplating what those angaran woman had said. It wasn’t just her, apparently, he was considered thick even by angaran standards. That didn’t really excuse him not speaking to her for weeks, but she was relieved it probably wasn’t personal. And the old krogan was right, she had treated Jaal differently of late, by not making the effort to get to know him further. He was just so infuriating. She caught a glimpse of him in the overlook, and changed direction. Perhaps things would go smoother with one drink below her belt.

 

“So, you didn’t speak to this woman for weeks, while you were admiring every other woman on the Tempest, you tried to flatter her by saying her friend had the most well trained body in the squad and you called her interest in angaras pitiful, and you have shown her your _‘gun’_ before the pathfinder asked to see it.” Sahuna sounded very displeased. When said out loud like this, his endeavours on the Tempest sounded very pitiful indeed, and Jaal tried to excuse himself.

“These humans are very difficult to understand, but I don’t think she was offended by that.”

“No, not the nakedness, perhaps, but ignoring her for weeks while telling other women they are wonderful is rude. Really Jaal, one would not think you have more than 5 mothers. Did we raise you this wrong?”

“I.. no. I don’t know how this happened.” He sounded so dejected his mother took pity on him.

“I shall help you so you can be my favorite again?”

“When did I fall from grace?” he asked in surprise.

“By the second week of not talking to my future daughter in law.”

Jaal saw a stir among the angara below him, and Ryder sauntered into view.

“Mother, she is here,” Jaal whispered into his omni-tool.

“Put me on your earpiece, dearest,” his mother said with a tone that brooked no opposition.

“Yes mo-.. Patfinder! Well? What do you think?” He waved his arm over the valley below them.

“I could get used to this.”

“We take turns living here. You can see why.”

Perhaps it was the drink talking, but Ryder didn’t find Jaal quite so obnoxious today.

“You’re relaxed here, There’s a sparkle in your eye.”

“I am. Thank you. It’s nice of you to notice.”

“You’re interesting. I like to notice.” Did she really just say that? God, what had Drack put in her drink?

 

“ _See? Things are going great. Now say something funny,”_ his mother whispered in his hear.

Jaal’s mind went blank, what did humans think was funny?

“ _Stars, Jaal, really? Tell her about that song you taught your friends,”_ his mother hissed insistently.

Jaal coughed and started talking before Ryder had a chance to leave.

“I, uh, caught Liam on the bridge the other day teaching Suvi and Kallo and old angaran folksong. At least that’s what I told him it was."

“Okay..” Ryder smiled at him in a way that made his chest flutter.

“Don’t fret. The marriage can be dissolved by a different song. I’ll try to remember it.”

When she actually laughed at that, Jaal could feel his own face break into a large grin. This was easy.

“ _Now ask her about her family. Go on!”_ His mother was still whispering orders in his ear.

“Uuh, did you have a large family, Ryder?”

“No, just my parents and my brother.”

“ _Oh no, poor thing,”_ his mother said emphatically. _“Jaal, be nice to her.”_

Jaal was drawn between happiness at his newfound success with Ryder and stress by it being orchestrated by his mother. It was going to be a long afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've read some of the Sarah/Jaal fics that have the explicit rating, and many of them have angara sexuality and physiology very close to turians. Purrs, retractable dick, you name it, but hey, I figure, we have a brand new alien, why not a brand new penis-system as well :)  
> My take on this is that only the top/upper part of an angran penis is visible from the front, because it's partly sheathed in a penis crevice. The top (that has partly movable muscles)that is exposed to clothes and extremities is a little rougher than the soft underside, and this makes the penis almost prehensile in it's flaccid form. Like.. an extra tongue, or something. Remember, I changed the rating on this story, so if I'm a perv for writing it, you're no better for reading :) Hahaha!


	6. Fast upgrade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal is making headway, Drack is catching on and Ryder is besieged from all sides.

By the time he had exhausted all talking points he and his mother could come up with, Jaal already felt like he knew the pathfinder a lot better. She loved her family, was mildly surprised that he had such a large family, but not deterred in any way. She’d asked about the kett and living under them, angaran history and his relationship with the Moshae. Ryder seemed pleased with the encounter.

His mother kept insisting he had to make some sort of statement before he let her go, and whispered some well chosen words about his interest in her, without scaring her away. Jaal tried to repeat them as Sahuna spoke.

“ _She is fascinating, and special, and strange.”_

“You are fascinating, and special, and strange.”

“ _Say it like you mean that.”_

“And I mean that.”

“ _Don’t say it out loud, foolish boy!”_

Jaal opened and closed his mouth, trying not to repeat the last sentence as well. Ryder hadn’t caught his little misstep.

“Thank you. You’re very interesting too. I have to run a few more errands, but I’ll talk to you later?”

“Of course. Stay strong and clear.”

“ _That went well.”_ Jaal could hear by her voice that his mother was smiling. _“Now we must figure out the next step. Does humans like gifts?”_

“I’m not sure.”

“ _Then you must find out, but in an inconspicuous manner.”_

“I can do that,” he said with a voice brimming with confidence.

“ _Jaal, that does not include going up to her and asking what she would like for a gift,”_ his mother said in a gently chiding tone.

“Oh.. But if I make many gifts, and ask her opinion about it?”

“ _That’s a lot of work, dearest. Aren’t you supposed to fight the kett too?”_

“I have time, we fly quite a lot,” he said with so much happiness, his mother didn’t have the heart to discourage him further.

“ _All right Jaal, but you keep me informed by messaging, yes?”_

“Of course. Stay clear, mother.”

 

On the walk back to the spaceport, Drack came up and walked beside Ryder.

“So, our angara is handsome, but a bit daft. Not surprising, if he couldn’t bother to answer that female. Kind of oblivious to his surroundings in civilian life. Weirdo.”

“You mean Jaal? I suppose. Looks like he can’t distinguish between real interest and flirtatious behavior. His loss.”

“Or maybe, some of them ladies lost something. Should’ve just clobbered him over the head with a big stick, that would get his attention just fine.” Drack grinned.

Ryder got the feeling he was trying to make a point here, but with a krogan one could never really tell.

“Riiight. Krogan seduction 101.”

“Trust me, that ain’t it. If a krogan want another krogan, it’s very obvious. Your kind of mating rituals gives me a headache. All that empty chatter and not enough grunting.”

Ryder chuckled as she entered the shuttle. “I’ll remember that.”

 

Jaal was a few meters behind them, and when he reached the shuttle he was stopped dead in his tracks by a large krogan paw to the chest.

“I just did you a favor, kid. Several, in fact.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jaal said defensively.

“She’s talking to you now, ain’t she? Listen up, you better not be screwing around on this. I hear one more word about mating turians or asari, and we’re gonna have a big problem, got it?”

“You and my mother,” Jaal mumbled under his breath. Out loud he said; “I would never ‘screw’ around. Angara are free with their emotions, not their loyalties.”

“Hmmm.. We’ll see,” Drack grumbled and climbed into the shuttle.

 

After their departure from Aya on route to Kadara Port, Ryder made her usual rounds. The crew were a little on edge about exaltation, and barely talked about anything else. She found a particular glee in tormenting Gil by informing her that she had no plans regarding the Archon’s ship, and were planning on winging it as usual. His famous poker face didn’t extend to the state of the Tempest. Lexi called her in and showed her the dead kett she’d brought aboard. Jaal was very upset when he found out the exaltation process were most likely non-reversible, and she decided to go after him when he stormed out of the med bay. She found him hiding in the Tech Lab, looking very sad. Ryder felt a swell of sympathy for both Jaal and his people, and he seemed to moderately perk up in her presence. A thought struck her from the overheard conversation with the two angaran women on Aya. Perhaps he was not dense. Maybe he was already spoken for. She asked if he had a mate, and she was stunned when he told her about his lost love Allia and his brother. ‘Thrilled and seduced.’ Those words alone didn’t bode well for that future relationship.

Such a story could melt even the hardest heart, and Ryder had never been very coldhearted to begin with. It was time to show a little support, an outstretched hand to a crew member in distress.

“Well, I think you’re interesting and would like to get to know you better. What do you think?”

“Yes, I’d like that,” Jaal said in his deep baritone voice.

And then he went and made it creepy.

“You are a lovely woman. Knowing you better would be a gift. Sincerely.”

Ryder sighed inwardly, but gave the angara a big smile. No point in making a big deal out of this.

 

Later that same afternoon, the pathfinder had time to sit down in her cabin and go through all the emails she’d accrued in a few hours. There was a request from Tann (naturally), the insistence of an interview from the horny asari reporter at the Nexus, and an email from Jaal, sent shortly after they’d returned from Aya.

 

_From Jaal_

_To Sarah Ryder_

 

It was a short update on the Moshae’s renewed work on the Ayan vault, and the promise of future assistance. At least his writing style wasn’t so stilted and formal anymore. The Pathfinder of the Human Initiative was quite a mouthful, and Sarah Ryder was a huge improvement for Jaal.

She clicked the next one, and almost spluttered coffee all over the keyboard.

 

_From Jaal_

_Dearest_

 

He had written a clumsy but heartwarming email where he made it clear that he considered what they were doing now were flirting, and that he had a fondness for her. And he enjoyed her, laying his emotions at her feet, admiring her strength and courage and beauty.

 

_Your Dearest_

_Jaal_

 

How the hell was she supposed to deal with this? She already had a flirting thing going on with Liam. She had to talk to Jaal about this. Some day. In the future. When his tale of Allia the jilting Jessie wasn’t so fresh in her memory. Dammit. She read the letter again. He.. ‘enjoyed’ her? Smiled while picturing her face? There was a flutter of something familiar in her chest, but she ignored it. Nope. Not going that way. No matter how fond he was of her. Or her courage. Or strength. Or-..STOP IT!

It was time to work, not think about the pink alien in her Tech Lab.

 

 

The talk with Jaal had to wait, as he had important information regarding the Roekaar’s leader Akksul, and they needed to hurry to Havarl to investigate. Sadly, their lead, Thaldyr, died without revealing anything regarding Akksul. Jaal was very upset and arranged a meeting with Akksul through the Moshae. What followed was an all out attack on Prodromos, and their talk was postponed again.

For all his peculiarities, Jaal was doing his best to get on her good side. He sent her emails asking for advice about an angaran children’s story about a child swept out of a space ship with the garbage, as this had not been the horrific deterrent to break rules for humans as it was to angarans. Ryder was glad she read that particular email in her cabin, as it made her laugh out loud. Jaal was also hard at work making gifts for everyone on the ship. He seemed very interested in whether or not she wanted a knife, but Ryder thought she saw a vulnerable side underneath all his hard work. Perhaps he really needed to keep busy, after the big reveal about the connection between the angara and the kett. The thought of needing to kill her own people made her shudder.

The thing was, Jaal wasn’t the only one acting strange on the Tempest. Wherever she went, either Gil or Peebee showed up with a look of feigned disinterest, and this was becoming somewhat unsettling. Hunting the Archon was bad enough, she really didn’t want to be the hunted one on her own ship, for whatever reason compelled them to do so. The end result was that Ryder was either chatting with the new and reformed Jaal in the Tech Lab, or hiding in her cabin, pouring over her work station.

This caught the attention of someone else.

 

 

“What have you managed to find,” Peebee whispered to Gil. They were huddled together in the engine core, pouring over their recent audio and vid plunder from the Tempest.

“Not so much,” Gil admitted. “I think SAM is catching on to me. I have to write new maintenance routines to slip past him rerouting me out all the time.”

“So what do we have?” Peebee was unconcerned.

“I think he was trying to make her a gift, but nothing came of that.”

“What? Why?”

“Because Ryder offered him a sympathetic ear instead,” Gil shrugged.

“Dammit. A gift would have solidified whatever it is he’s doing. He’s going too slow. Perhaps I should give him some more advice?”

Gil laid his face in serious folds. “Perhaps you should. I’m sure nothing bad can come of that.”

“I know, right? Asari have an unmatched way of bonding with people. We are universally charming.” She stopped and considered. “Maybe not that shrew in Med Bay. It’s the turian in her that ruins everything.”

“Says the one with the elcor dad,” Gil grinned. “ _Lustfully_ , I want to look at Jaal’s full body scans.”

“Heeeyy! That was a long time ago, and I did NOT say ‘lustfully.’ Meanie.”

“Care to raise your bet? 150 credits say he’ll mess it up before we find the Archon’s ship.”

“Just what do you two think you’re doing?” a very old and threatening voice said beside them. They swung around and stared on the menacing figure of Drack, peering down on them from his skeletal armor.

“Uh, nothing,” Gil stuttered and quickly closed the program on the datapad.

“Nothing that concerns you, old man,” Peebee said and winked at him.

Drack was impervious to her charm assault. “Really? Didn’t sound like nothing. Sounded like a bet. Care to inform me what you’re wagering on? I might like to join in.”

“Uhm, whether or not… Liam will do something stupid before we reach the kett flagship?” Gil was a good bluffer, but it was ruined by Peebee whispering a little too loud; “Ooh, good one.”

The krogan flicked his reptilian eyes between the pair of them. “Got my eyes on you. Something is making you two cozy up to each other, its unnatural.” He lumbered out with a gait that belied his ability to sneak up on people.

“Whew. Close call. Next time, how about locking the damn door?” Gil snapped at Peebee.

She sat down on his console and picked up another datapad, rubbing her blue backside all over the command buttons. The console started beeping and sent an imminent collision alert to the bridge.

“ _Brodie? What are you doing to my ship?”_ Kallo screeched over the comms.

“Whoops. Sorry,” Peebee grinned and jumped down from the console, giving Gil and innocent smile before leaving him to run damage control with a hysterical salarian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really had to quickplay my way through Andromeda again to get a better feeling for the timelines of his flirting and the main storyline. I had forgotten just how damned long Jaal's loyalty mission is, dragging out over several planets with being on 'Hold' far too often. Gaah!  
> Hope you like it :D


	7. Wavering loyalties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam lands Ryder in a heap of trouble, and Jaal gets bad news from home.

“ _Jaal Ama Darav! You always were a short sighted fool. Helping an outsider instead of helping your own people. You’re unfit to bear your family’s name.”_

The venom in the Roekaar leader’s voice was unmistakable. Ryder felt a pang of guilt. She’d not taken into consideration what dangers Jaal was putting himself through to be here among them.

“I didn’t mean to make my enemies yours.”

Jaal merely shrugged. “Mmh. He’s said similar things before. When we were students, the Moshae paired us together. We’ve never gotten along.”

It was a generous outlook on matters, and Ryder found herself intrigued by the casual way Jaal approached being branded a traitor by many of his people. This was nothing like being disliked by the people of Kadara, the Roekaar actively wanted to kill their opposition, in stead of just being left alone. “He’s just jealous,” she winked at the angara. Jaal blinked in surprise, but recovered fast.

“Of what?”

“You’re the better man.”

“Well, I am better looking.”Jaal chuckled and flashed her a very toothy smile, before composing himself and becoming more serious.

“Akksul wants us to do something reckless. Let’s not give him the satisfaction.” When he strolled past her on his way back to the Tech Lab, she saw the happy smirk still lingering on his face.

Ryder tapped her fingers on the counter of the holo-vid circle. Since when had she started flirting back at the angara?

 

 

The Archon’s ship was another beast entirely. Their infiltration group had consisted of her, Jaal and Vetra, and the trek through the bowels of that monstrosity was a nightmarish slog. Dead and dying salarians, documented experiments on all the Milky Way species, far to many anointed ketts needing to be put to death and narrow corridors filled with wraiths. And when their goal was within reach, they landed in the Archon’s trap and she got a tracker in her neck. Ryder didn’t relish the experience of dying, and now she had experienced that for the second time in only a few months. She’d momentarily crossed over into the void twice, with no greater understanding of the other side. It was as unpleasant as ever. Vetra said she was crazy for accepting SAM’s proposal, but Jaal had restricted himself to saying _‘It had been a pleasure.’_

She didn’t think much of it then, but now, as she was sitting in front of her desk and writing another tedious report, his words came back to her. ‘A pleasure.’ No more dearest, like his email. Was that all he would afford her in her last moments? Granted, that last moment didn’t last long, but still. And why on earth did it bother her so much, after all, she had Liam.

Liam, who’d just now sent her a distressed email. Apparently he urgently needed to see her. Maybe he wanted to fool around a bit. She saved the file she was working on and got up. A little stress relief would be fun. Reality, as it turned out, was not that kind.

 

“What do you mean you gave Nexus navpoints and data to some random scavenger you found on Kadara?! Are you insane?” Ryder bellowed.

“No, I mean, it was stupid, but..”

“Stupid doesn’t even begin to cover it. Have you met Vetra? Our black market expert? Why didn’t you ask for help?”

“I wanted to do something myself.”

Liam looked so miserable Ryder didn’t press the issue, but this was a critical misstep on his part. How could a rational grown man make such a tremendous miscalculation?

“Find us the coordinates to.. somewhere. Let’s fix this now.”

“Right right. I’ll send the last known coordinates to the bridge. Ryder, I’m sorry.”

“Sure. Just be ready when we go.” Ryder turned around and marched out. This was simply inexcusable.

 

 

The two ship spies were hiding in engineering again.

“Pay up. He did something dumb,” Peebee whispered to Gil.

“Not a chance. We said that because Drack was hovering around, and we also said _before_ the Archon’s ship. Hey, shouldn’t you pay me?” Gil poked Peebee in the arm.

“Uh-uh, you just said it wasn’t a bet.”

“As you wish, but I got a new one. I bet Ryder is going to chew Liam’s British head off after this mission and loose interest.”

“For this? I’ve done worse.”

“Yes, but you and Ryder aren’t sleeping together.”

“What do you know about that?”

“I saw what you were doing in that escape pod all alone. Thinking about selling that recording on the seediest bar I can find on Kadara. Might not even have to try out for that ass-shaking position when that goes public.”

“Screw you, Gil!” Peebee shook her finger at him.

“Not my type, bluebird.”

 

Ryder was standing at the bridge, glaring at her crisis responder.

“I got this.” Liam said with more confidence than the situation warranted.

“You got this? Really? What we got is a chance. And not a big one.”

“I got a plan, trust me.”

That wasn’t the last time he said the word plan on this mission, but just how lacking it was, Ryder never realized before embarkation. The first bump in the road came after they were picked up among the debris.

 

“You said scavengers! This is a kett ship. A big one!” Ryder chided.

“Uh, change.. change of plans?” Liam said weakly.

Ryder felt strong desire to rub her eyes and pretend this was all a dream, but there was no removing her helmet inside this awful place. Instead she rechecked the seals on her suit and pulled out her shotgun. “On me.”

“Scavenging isn’t the kett’s MO,” Liam blathered. “We just got to find Verand and leave.”

“Alarms, Liam,” Ryder remarked sarcastically as the blaring klaxon sounded throughout the ship.

“Doesn’t change why we’re here. Let’s just stick to the plan.”

The nearby doors opened and the pirates was swarming the hold.

“Alarms, Liam,” Ryder repeated, this time with a more sardonic twinge to her tone.

“I know, I know!”

“We don’t even know if your contact is alive.”

“Shut it,” he howled and Ryder reached a breaking point in her head. This guy was worse than three overly emotional angara.

The alarms was the start of a maze of mishaps. Next Liam almost blew her head off by opening a door hiding a turret, then claiming it was only a small mistake.

Another idea shifted the gravity of the ship, causing one of the containers to almost land on top of her.

Liam tried to quip his way out of every situation, and that made Ryder even more furious. Compared to their stoic angaran companion, Liam sounded more and more like one of her teenage boyfriends, trying to impress her while running away from Citadel security with a stolen six pack of beers.

Finally, when none of his clever remarks swayed her to a better mood, he started whistling, and pouted like a child when ordered not to do so.

“Hard to see how they could hide this ship,” he commented and Ryder couldn’t resist snapping at him.

“Radiation and debris. Keeps _smart_ people from finding it.”

“Uh-huh.” Liam used 30 seconds to think about that, before spouting more words.

“After all this I only have one thing to say. Proud of all our people, pathfinder.”

No apology, just another platitude. Jaal’s silence was a blessing, Ryder thought. Either the angara had caught on that their leader was steaming, or he had nothing useful to add to the mission and kept his mouth shut. Compared to the endless jabbering of Liam, it was a relief.

After fighting their way through gravity shifts and waves upon waves of pirates, they finally found the contact and was able to flee that hellhole. Ryder suffered her way through a grovelling apology by Liam, but it was to late. He was immature, irresponsible and a decent lay. The latter could no longer save him from being cast out of her bed for all posterity. She listened in silence, and after accepting his _‘Sorry’s’_ and _‘I’ll never do it again’s’_ she returned to her cabin and fell into bed, alone. Things were simply not allowed to go sideways for the next twelve hours.

 

“See? Told you,” Gil said with a condescending grin. “She went to bed _sanse_ Liam. No ‘Yay, we’re alive-shag,” no kiss in the holo-deck, nothing.”

“They could be tired from all that fighting, Gil, don’t be such a smug bastard,” Peebee said without any real conviction.

“Nope, I’m right, and you know I’m right. Ryder’s kicked her little puppy to the curb.”

“Dammit,” Peebee hissed and transferred more credits.

“You know, if you’re going to be a dancer, you need to learn to smile more,” Gil said smirking. “Those punters won’t be paying you for scowling at them, unless you get a really kinky clientele.” He put his hand under his chin and pretended to think on it. “Although, specialists pay more, and you’re working up quite a debt here. Something to consider, maybe?”

“I hate you, Gil Brodie, and I hope your hair falls out.”

Gil clutched his chest and gasped theatrically. “Oh, the humanities!”

“Laugh it up, pretty boy. At least now that’s Liam’s out of the picture, I can easily get Jaal to take his place.”

“Not if I can get Ryder to fall for that suave gentleman pirate on Kadara. Reyes, was it?”

Peebee balled her fists at Gil. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Hey, I’d go for that man any day of the week. Why not Ryder?”

“So why don’t you? Why must you ruin this for me?!”

“Because I like ruining things for you?” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“One day I’m gonna-..” She stared wide eyed over his shoulder. “Shhh, here comes the party-pooper. Game face on.”

They walked away, trying to look like they just met accidentally as Drack passed them by.

 

The morning after the disastrous mission aboard the derelict kett ship, Ryder got a message from Jaal to meet in his cabin. That was unusual enough to merit her curiosity, but when she walked into the Tech Lab, he was busy with a vid call. Three angaran woman were yelling at Jaal in shrill voices, and Jaal himself looked grim.

“Is this a bad time? I can come back.”

“No!” he pleaded and stood up. “Please, stay. My being alone would not help. Three of my brothers and sisters have joined the Roekaar. Akksul has poisoned them with his hatred of aliens.”

“And your mothers want you to bring them back.”

“The Roekaar has made camp at the Forge, the birthplace of our civilization. Akksul likely believes this bold move will draw in more fanatics for his cause.”

He paused, and began again in a pained voice. “Ryder, he has my family, but I don’t think I can do this alone.”

That asshole had gone after Jaal’s siblings. This was something Ryder could relate to wholeheartedly. There was no doubt as to her answer.

“You don’t have to. Just name the time and the place.”

He gazed at her with admiration and relief.

“No hesitation,” he chuckled. “That’s what I love about you. I’ll set up a meeting with a friend that’s monitoring the Roekaar.”

For the first time since she’d met the angara, Ryder felt a deeper bond grow between them. He cared for family as passionately as she did, willing to protect his siblings at all costs. They were turning out to be more alike than she first assumed. Perhaps being his dearest wouldn’t be so horrible after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Liam is getting thrown to the dogs here, but I really liked his character until his loyalty mission, when he became unbearably immature. I really wanted to shake the molars out of his mouth, giving away Nexus navpoints to some random chick he met in a bar.. Geez..


	8. A promise kept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a final face off with Akksul, but Ryder has made a promise she'd rather not keep.

The trip back to Havarl was tense for everyone aboard the ship. While Jaal usually had the good humor to indulge the crew on the Tempest in friendly banter, now he was snappish and on edge. When Liam asked him if all angara snored in their sleep or just him, he bit back by asking Liam if all humans whimpered in theirs, or just him. Or so Ryder thought, until she was pulled aside by Drack. He activated a small device and chuckled to himself, before turning back to Ryder.

“You know why they’re biting each others heads off, right? Or trying to. More like nibbling, with those stubby teeth.”

“Yeah, of course I know.”

“Really? That’s a relief. So, who will you pick?”

“Pick? If I can, I will save all of them.”

“Save them? Is this some human kinky stuff I don’t want to know about? A code word for perverts or something?”

“What? No! Jaal’s siblings, I will do my utmost to save all three.”

“Right. Those guys.” Drack waved the topic of siblings away with his short arms. “Not that. I meant, you’re stringing these guys along, and they’re at each others throat for that.”

“I’m not stringing anyone along, Nakmor Drack! Keep talking like that and you’ll get a kick in the quads.”

“HAH!” Drack let out a belly laugh and slapped Ryder on the back, probably bruising her for weeks. “Knew there was a reason I liked you, other than saving my scouts. Now listen, Liam still thinks he might have a shot with you, and Jaal knows you’ve shared that sticky couch with him.” Drack stopped himself and peered at her. “You do know that weirdo has a thing for you, right?”

“I.. yes, that subject has come up.”

“Finally,” Drack said under his breath. “The question remains, who are you going to pick.”

“What, I have to choose right now?”

“It would be better,” Drack said ominously, “considering that all eyes are on you at the moment. I can’t protect you all the time.”

“Say what? Drack, are you drunk?”

“Nope, but I will be as soon as I get some issues squared away.”

“I don’t know, I see a lot of issues right here,” Ryder said and raised a sarcastic eyebrow at him.

“Just give that little human of yours a friendly push off. I know you won’t be upset when I say this, but I think he has a small thing for that Verand girl. Might let her suffer instead.”

Ryder pondered that for a moment. “Makes sense. Why else would he sell her those navpoints and get very little in return.”

“Right. Turns out you are more alike than I thought. Don’t know what you two see in those neckflaps, meself.”

“What are y-… Drack! Not funny!”

“That’s your opinion. Get moving. I don’t have another millennia.” He turned off the device and stalked out. Ryder was left with the feeling that she’d missed half the conversation they’d just had.

 

* * *

 

The battle for the forge was a long uphill battle, driving the Roekaar from building to building until they reached the summit. The speakers were blasting a continuous propaganda piece voiced by Akksul about the dangers of aliens, and while most of the characterizations didn’t fit the Initiative, Ryder couldn’t help feeling that he had some good points, buried under a mountain of hatred. The Initiative would be expecting some form of repayment for their efforts against the kett, likely places to settle, and rogue elements among them would be causing problems for all of them, like the outpost on Kadara. Still, diplomacy was the way to go, especially since the entire Heleus system was in an existential battle against the kett.

At the top of the ruins they encountered a small squad of angara recruits calling for backup. Ryder checked the clip in her rifle when Jaal placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Wait. I know those voices.”

He got up and raised his hands in the air. “Lathoul! Stop!”

She could feel her breath hitch in her throat when she saw him stand defenseless against the rifle barrels.

“Jaal? Is that you?” came the voice from the angara called Lathoul. He sheathed his gun and ran to meet Jaal. There was a strange meeting ritual with punching and hugging, and the two brothers were reunited. His sister, on the other hand, was not so accommodating.

“Baranjj, our mothers sent me.”

“Did our mothers send this human too?” Teviint glared at Ryder.

“I’m Ryder, pathfinder of the Initiative.”

Teviint was not impressed. “I should kill you right now.”

She only stood down when Jaal pleaded with her do to so.

“Why did our mothers send you, Jaal?” Baranjj asked.

“We have lost enough to the kett. They don’t want to lose you to this insane cause.”

“Baranjj hesitated. “But Jaal..”

“I want you to see that Akksul is wrong. Meet my friend, Sarah,” Jaal said and quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her forward. Ryder had not expected to be called out as the bulwark against angaran extremism, but here she was, front and center in the fight. And since when did he call her Sarah?

“Trust me, we have as much to give you as you have to give us. We all win.”

Perhaps a little early to talk about trust, but she hadn’t exactly prepared a speech. Baranjj and Teviint was not moved.

“Who cares!”

“The angara don’t want anything you have.”

“We don’t need you.”

“Jaal, our mothers want us to live truthfully.”

“It’s because I love my mother I would die for this cause.”

The third sibling was almost lost in the background, but he was not taking part in the shouting competition in front. Jaal had mentioned that his brother Lathoul was usually very talkative. Yet he said nothing, until there was a small pause in Baranjj and Teviint's yelling, and he pressed himself between them.

“Akksul is going to blow this place up. That’s why he sent the researchers away.”

“Stop talking!” Teviint was almost hysterical.

“He has bombs, taken from your people,” he said, staring pleadingly at Ryder. She immediately understood the dilemma.

“He’s going to make it look like the Initiative did it.”

“We have to disarm them.” Jaal smiled at his brother.

A single gunshot rang between the old ruins, and Lathoul stumbled forward. “Ach.”

Teviint looked as shocked as Jaal, and she and Baranjj turned tail and fled.

“Teviint,” Jaal growled after her, but Lathoul pulled his Rofjjin.

“No no no. The bombs, in the Forge. I’m okay, Jaal. I’ll be fine.”

Ryder admired the angara’s courage.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I hate Akksul. Don’t let him win.”

When they started running the last stretch to the summit, Jaal gave her a fast smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”

She acknowledged his words with a small nod, and picked up the pace. Time to face Akksul.

 

 

When they’d defeated the last of the Roekaar defending the bombs, Jaal came up behind her.

“If Akksul shows up..”

“I know. Follow your lead,” she said with some trepidation. Judging from Lathoul’s example, his family had a tendency for self sacrifice. She wasn’t prepared to lose any of her crew members to the Roekaar’s fanatical cause.

 

On approach to the last hideout, two unarmed angara came running out of the cave.

“Jaal? Jaal!”

The one in front was Teviint.

“I killed him. I killed our brother,” she sobbed and clung to her brother’s chest.

Her brother was not so easily swayed. “You’re lucky, he said coldly. “Lathoul’s not dead.”

“I lost my mind, Jaal. I want to go home” His sister was very shaken.

“But, the cause!” Baranjj sounded betrayed. “I joined because of you.”

“I shot our _brother_ _!_ ” Teviint snapped.

“Don’t leave me,” Baranjj begged, but was interrupted by another angara.

“Let her go. I only want soldiers who are committed to our cause..” The voice was dripping of charisma. He’d made speeches like this before. Akksul himself had arrived.

“Not weaklings who stand by and watch the destruction of our people at the hands of aliens.” The last word was spat in Ryder’s direction. The ledge above them suddenly teemed with Roekaar fighters, armed to the teeth. Jaal seemed unperturbed. She could do no less.

“Blowing up your sacred birthplace seems pretty drastic,” she said calmly. “Your cause is falling apart. Like you.”

Akksul seemed to relish the chance to berate her in front of his flock. “I speak for our people. And I say you are done in Heleus.” He threw his arm against her, and her training took over. In a split second she had her rifle aimed between his eyes. From her right side she could hear Jaal’s warning.

“Ryder...”

Akksul laughed. He was genuinely pleased, and stepped in front of her rifle, leaning over her to mock her.

“Martyr me. Please, I dare you.”

She saw Jaal shift uneasily, afraid of what she might do. Putting a bullet between Akksul’s eye would have been so easy, but she’d made him a promise.

“I don’t kill unarmed crazy people,” she spat at him and stepped back.

Akksul gave her a disappointed glare, but had one more speech.

“They move onto our planets. They take our resources. Make us weak.”

It was Jaal’s turn to take the stage. “I’ve watched Ryder make planets habitable,” he countered.

“Exactly. And they’ll never let us forget it.”

Ryder winced. It was her own thoughts from earlier, but in a much more direct form. The likes of Director Tann would expect compensation for her efforts, since she was one of the spearheads of the Initiative.

Jaal himself didn’t pay attention to Akksul. “She rescued our beloved Moshae.”

“I know,” Akksul hissed.

“Saved her life,” Jaal continued.

“I know, stop defending them,” Akksul snarled. His followers on the ledge seemed apprehensive.

“The Moshae trusts Ryder, and-..”

Akksul pulled out a gun and aimed at Jaal. “Stop! We’ve been fighting the wrong enemy. Maybe the enemy is this traitor!”

“Easy,” Jaal said, but whether it was to Akksul or her, Ryder did not know. She too had her gun out, pointing at Akksul.

“Jaal?” She did not like the turn this had taken. Jaal was of _her_ crew, and she would not risk his life for naught.

“Don’t!” he said and held out a hand, urging her to put down the gun.

“The Moshae trust Ryder. You’ve become a danger to your own people,” he told Akksul. “Walk away.”

“Or, I kill you know, and reveal the Resistance for the traitors they are.” Akksul’s voice was twisted in hatred.

Ryder felt her finger curl tighter around the trigger. This was the moment. He would fire, and she would lose Jaal and her connection to the angaran Resistance. The latter suddenly seemed unimportant. She was about to lose _Jaal_. But she’d _promised_.

A second of hesitation was all it took. Akksul pulled the trigger first, and she saw in slow motion the projectile exit the gun and travel towards Jaal’s face. It grazed his cheek and struck a rock nearby. Jaal stood immovable, staring at Akksul.

One by one, the bystanders on the ledge walked out. Their leader had tried to kill one of their own without cause. Akksul had no rousing speeches for this occurrence, and had to watch them leave one by one.

“The alien is not the monster here,” Jaal said quietly.

“I love my people.” Akksul looked defeated.

Jaal didn’t reply. He merely turned to his siblings. “Come. Let’s get you home.”

The happiest outcome the angara could hope for. Ryder, however, was not relieved. Jaal had made her stand by and watch him almost get killed, bound from interfering by her promise to him. She should shoot him herself, just to set an example. Preferable in his backside.

For the sake of appearances in front of his family she refrained. Instead she asked if he was okay.

“Yeah, thanks,” he grunted, and that was the last words they spoke before the long way back.

 

Teviint kept on apologizing to Lathoul the entire shuttle ride back to Daar Pelaav, but Ryder wasn’t paying attention. She was still upset with Jaal for his reckless behavior. On the platform they were met by two of the mothers, and Jaal and Ryder stepped away to give them a moment.

“Thank you for trusting me,” he said as they were gazing over the lush forest outside the daara.

“Killing Akksul would have made the Roekaar stronger.”

His words made sense, but the dread she felt in those seconds was not so easily pushed aside.  
“He shot you!” Ryder said accusingly.

“I’m glad he did. It exposed how far he’d fallen.”

Jaal sounded like he meant it, and Ryder wanted to shove him off the platform. Instead she resigned herself to voicing her objection.

“I was really worried!” she said, looking over the trees.

“It will heal,” he said softly. “All scars do.” Then he put his arm around her and pulled her forehead to his. Instinctively she reciprocated the movement, gazing into his eyes. She saw in them a glimmer of hope, and a soft smile curled on her lips. Jaal pulled back and shot a guilty look towards his wide eyed family members.

“Uh, we should get back,” he said and tried to walk casually away from her.

Ryder quelled her smile. Perhaps not the best idea for him to touch aliens on front of his family when three of his brothers and sisters had quit the alien-hating Roekaar not 20 minutes ago.

 

* * *

 

**_ Meanwhile, back on the Tempest _ **

Kallo walked into the kitchen and pulled up a device of his own making, before turning it on.

“You were right in coming to me,” he said to the huge krogan in the corner. “There is indeed some irregularities in the surveillance feed on the Tempest. I suspect we both know who the main culprit is.”

“Heh heh, I thought so. Any chance of finding out what they’re doing?” Drack said and chomped down a large piece of meat.

“It might take some time, if I don’t want to be discovered. If Gil thinks he can get away with meddling with my ship, he’s very wrong,” Kallo said in a high pitched voice.

“Good, that’s the spirit,” Drack grinned. “I never thought I’d see the day when a krogan and a salarian again worked together for a common goal.”

“Neither did I,” sniffed Kallo. “That horrible Gil Brodie has a lot to answer for.”

“Just make sure you find out what they’re doing. I’ll handle the rest.”

Kallo nodded and darted back to his seat. SAM was announcing the return of the pathfinder and her team.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot more story and much less 'fun', but it was necessary for the advancement of the growing relationship between Jaal and Ryder. However, the fun is not done, and Drack has acquired an accomplice as well..


	9. A day out in Kadara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil and Peebee try to one up each other, catching Ryder and Cora in the middle of their schemes.

_To: Jaal Ama Darav_

_From: Sahuna Ama Darav_

 

_Cherished son, how are you? Your brother Lathoul told me you were sharing an intimate moment with the pathfinder on Daar Pelaav. On the landing pad, no less. Your sister was quite shocked, but she will overcome in time. Why have you not told me of the progress with your woman? I wish to know everything, and you must invite her to meet the family at the earliest convenience._

 

_Your mother_

_Sahuna_

 

Jaal stared at the screen. While he loved his mother, right now she presumed more then he even had dared to hope for after so short a time. He dragged her message to the archive and dropped it into the inbox. There was nothing he wanted more than introducing Ryder to his family, but he needed a little more time, working up his courage to ask her what his heart truly desired.

 

* * *

 

“Peebee, stop sulking. This was your idea, remember?”

Ryder was standing beside the Nomad in it’s brand new golden paint job, carefully removing a small smudge of dirt from the gleaming vehicle. She would have been smiling from ear to ear if not for the angry asari next to her.

“Well, I changed my mind. Why would anyone go to Kadara? It’s dirty and dank, filled with criminal elements and unsavory characters. We have better things to do.”

“Oh no, you’re not fooling me with that one. You’ve been nagging me about that last piece of Rem-tech for a month, and now you suddenly don’t want it? Not buying what you’re selling. And speaking of buy, I have more errands to do on Kadara. Liam wants a vid, Vetra wants whatever it is she buys down there, Drack wants some poisonous bugs...”

“But it’s dangerous,” Peebee whined.

“Not to worry, we have a local guide. Reyes just sent a message, he’ll meet us there.”

Peebee closed her mouth and glared up at the walkway, where Gil was whistling a false tune.

“That guy is the worst. He can’t be trusted, Ryder. His kind only want one thing.”

“Credits?”

“No. I mean, yes, but..”

“Power?”

“No. Not only that, he..”

“The destruction of his enemies?”

“No! Well, okay, but..”

“Peebee, what’s this all about?” Ryder was tiring of teasing the asari.

“What do you mean? I’ve already told you!”

“Right. Next stop is Kadara, regardless of how scary you think it is. I can leave you aboard the Tempest, if-..”

“NO! I want to be on the ground-team.”

“Okay, okay. It’s you, me and Cora. She wanted to see the town for herself.”

“Fine. I’ll go get ready.”

The asari stomped out, and Ryder cast a confused look up to Gil, who was working on a panel above. He shrugged. “I don’t know what’s her problem. She’s always like that,” he said gravely.

Ryder sighed and resumed polishing her shiny Nomad. She didn’t see Gil’s face split into a shark smile as he resumed working on improving the Tempest.

 

* * *

 

“Come on, Ryder, hurry up. We don’t have all day.” Peebee was standing beside her again, nagging Ryder as she ate a small sandwich. Ryder tried not to think about what kind of meat was used in the local food, considering Kadara was a poisonous swamp, but she’d missed breakfast and was determined to have something to eat and a cup of coffee, even if it did taste like dead dog.

“You go on ahead,” she told Peebee between chewing. “I’ll catch up.”

“Oh no, I won’t leave my good friend in this hellhole,” Peebee snapped.

“Look, it’s that Reyes guy.” Cora pointed to a man walking in their direction.

“So it is,” Ryder grinned. “Don’t let him buy you a drink unless you have the credits to pay for it yourself. Very sneaky, that guy.”

“Got it,” Cora chuckled.

“Ah, three beautiful women, just for me. What have I done to deserve such a boon.”

Reyes lazy smile rested on each of them in turn. Ryder merely smiled and waved back, having already encountered the charming devil’s sexual magnetism. Cora on the other hand, seemed quite smitten.

“Uh, hi. It’s good to meet a friendly face here.”

“It is indeed. Especially an allurement such as yourself.” Reyes took her hand and kissed it.

Cora went deep red, and Ryder hid a snort of laughter. Peebee, on the other hand, was not so pleased.

“What, no love for the azure?”

“On the contrary, my dear, I could gaze upon your sapphire skin all evening, if circumstances allowed it.”

Ryder used Reyes’ shameless flattery to have another sip of coffee. At least Peebee was nagging someone else now.

“Circumstances? Anything I could help you with?” Cora asked.

“Hey, he told me, so obviously if he needs help, I’m the one to ask,” Peebee snapped.

“Oh yeah? Tell me, what could a homemade archaeologist do that a Huntress could not?”

Ryder blinked. This escalated fast.

“By the Goddess, here we go again with the war stories. Huntress this and commando that, you just want to rub our faces in the fact that you slept around with dozens of asari on Thessia!” Peebee scowled at the other woman.

“I did not ‘sleep around,’ I was a commando! And a far more powerful one than you, I might add.”

“Oh yeah? I’m a natural, you’re decent for a _human_.”

“Uh, guys? Take it easy, You’re making a scene,” Ryder said, but they didn’t hear her over their own shouting voices.

“And speaking of that, don’t try to muscle in on my turf.”

“Huh?” Cora looked confused.

“That one,” Peebee said and nodded to Reyes. “I’ve already told you, I get what I want, but I probably won’t keep him. You can have him when I’m done.”

“Done? You think I would pick up your scraps?” Cora was beginning to shimmer blue.

“Uh, hello? Scraps?” Reyes said, half insulted and half amused with the debacle.

Peebee sneered at Cora flaring her biotics. “Keep it in your pants, Huntress, nobody wants to see yo-..”

A blue jet of biotic shot from Cora’s arm and struck Peebee in the chest.

“Ow! What the hell, human!” She fired back with a charge that sent several Kadara residents running for cover.

Ryder tried to gulp down what little remained of her tepid coffee when a three talon hand clamped down on her shoulder.

“We need to get out of here, fast.” It was Vetra. “Kaetus is on his way with some of Sloane’s goons, and its’ easier to bribe our way out of here if you’re not in the slammer.”

Somewhere in the crowd there was a loud shriek from a familiar asari voice.

“Dammit.” Ryder couldn’t see Cora anymore.

“You’re always in such interesting company, Ryder.” Reyes smiled his wiliest grin.

“I know. It’s a curse,” she sighed. This was going to be expensive.

 

* * *

 

“So tell me about your day out on Kadara?” Gil leaned on the sleeping quarter's bulkhead and looked smug.

“I know you called Reyes to meet us there, and I figured I’d steer all his attentions on myself,” Peebee said and slathered medigel on a nasty bruise. “For some reason, that pale-haired freakshow decided she could take me on, and things got a little out of hand.”

“A little out of hand? From what I hear you wrecked half of Kadara port.” Gil grinned gleefully.

“It’s a shithole anyway,” Peebee said and refused to look at him.

“No no, what happened was that you got suckered into a bidding war with Cora for that man’s attention. You just kept on bidding, regardless of the hand you were dealt. This is what makes you an easy prey in poker.” Gil was so pleased with himself that on another part of the ship, Kallo shuddered.

“So what did you accomplish? Ryder thinks you’re nuts, Cora thinks you’re insane, Reyes still has a thing for the pathfinder and Jaal is nowhere near Ryder’s bed. I think we can chalk this up to another win for me.”

At that moment, Ryder walked passed them the walkway above, striding determined towards the research room.

“Oh, I don’t like the look of this,” Gil said and hurried up the ladder. Peebee was right behind him. Both of them failed to notice the green toy peashooter in a lower bunk. It swung it’s head gently from side to side, as if activated by noise. In the cockpit, it was Kallo’s turn to grin.

“Where is she going?” Gil kept out of sight from the pathfinder.

“By the Goddess, she’s going to the Tech Lab!” Peebee shrieked in a high pitched voice. “I win!”

“There you are!” a voice said behind them. Lexi appeared like a blue avenging demon. “Peebee, Its’ your turn to get patched up. Cora’s out of the Med Bay.”

“I’m fine,” Peebee hissed, “look, I have medigel and everything.”

“Not a chance. Ryder’s ordered a full medical examination after that incident, and I concur with her assessment. You two were using a lot of power back there, and might have gotten hurt internally.”

“You think a human could outdo an asari with biotics?” Peebee said sourly. “I don’t.”

“Not usually, no, but not all humans are Cora Harper. Now get in the Med Bay or I’ll summon Ryder.”

“No!”

“Yes!”

Gil and Peebee glared at each other.

“Fine, I’ll go,” Peebee said, “just leave Ryder out of it.”

“Uh, I think we should call the pathfinder, just in case,” Gil wheedled.

“There you are, whelp,” Drack’s voice boomed in the archway. “Been looking all over for ya.”

Gil spun around. “Who, me?”

“Yup. Got a call from Elaaden about some drive core, and need some basic information.”

“Looks like everyone has things to do,” Lexi said calmly. “You come with me, and Gil goes with Drack.”

When Drack walked passed Lexi, she gave him a quick pat on the snout. “Come by later, I have something for you.”

“Sure thing, doc.”

Gil stared wide eyed at the krogan. “What was that?”

“What? Never seen a guy get new batteries in his leg before? Now move!”

 

* * *

 

After a long, trying and expensive day on Kadara, talking to Jaal was a balm. He listened patiently while she told her side of the horrible day on Kadara, and chuckled in all the right places. For the moment, he seemed to be one unaffected by the craziness that many of the Tempest crew was suffering from. For a while she talked, but he kept fidgeting with his monocle visor, and she stopped to let him get the chance to speak.

“I wanted to tell you something, Ryder. I’m sure that I seem confident and skilled to you. But I’m not. Or, I don’t feel like I am.”

That was an unexpected revelation. She’d always considered him very skilled in whatever he did, even if he sometimes had lapses in personal relations. There was no reason not to tell him that. Well, not the interpersonal stuff. 

“Well, I think you’re great.”

“That’s so..” he smiled shyly and hesitated.

“It’s true.”

“You’re making me blush,” Jaal said, trying to hide a huge grin.

“I can’t tell.” She winked at him, but he didn’t seem more pink than usual. Perhaps his people blushed in a different way.

She was reluctant to leave, and they broached the subject of family when Ryder asked how things were with his rescued siblings. He told her they were fine, and when she asked about the rest of his family, Jaal smiled.

“Sit down. This will take time. Is someone bringing us snacks and drinks?”

“Whoa. Is you family really that big?”

“I have one true mother, Sahuna, and more than five additional mothers. And many many many siblings and cousins, all raised together. My father is gone, taken or killed by the kett. We never found his body.”

This struck a chord with Ryder.

“I’m sorry about that Jaal. I understand. I just lost my dad.”

“Something in common between aliens, then. We are fatherless, yet still we fight on.”

Before she could stop herself, Ryder had reached out and taken Jaal’s hand in her own to comfort him. He looked as surprised as she was, but pleasantly so. She met his eyes again, and the ocean blue gaze made her chest constrict in a sudden swell of emotion. It was her time to blush.

“I, uh.. I need to.. check something with Suvi,” she said and released his hand.

The knowing smile that ghosted his lips was very unsettling.

“Of course. Stay strong and clear.”

Ryder fled the Tech Lab. What had she done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm picking dialogue left and right from every conversation I can find. The argument between Cora and Peebee is based on in-game banter from the Nomad, when Peebee says Cora can have maleRyder when she's done with him. Hilarious, and somewhat offensive.. ;)  
> I'm aware that I could have been visiting Jaal's family already according to the game, but I need the affection between Jaal and Ryder to grow at a believable pace.   
> Bear with me :D


	10. Working with Reyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pathfinder needs to make Kadara a livable place, but that means navigating the seedy underworld of the port, and it's movers and shakers.

Only the rescue of the asari ark had calmed Cora down to a point where she was willing to speak to Peebee again. However, the air between the two were filled with nothing but resentful glares and snide innuendos.

“What’s the matter Cora, cat got your tongue?”

“Nope, just not interested in your inanities.”

“Remember Sarissa’s manuals, breathe, purpose, action, and then stab your boss in the back.”

“Really? That’s low, even for you. At lest the asari ark is back and on the Nexus.”

“Yey, more old biddies arguing among themselves. Just what we need.”

“You mean, more than some clueless archaeologist that couldn’t activate the remnants after months of studying?”

“Hey, I spent those months out there with sand in my bits, be grateful!”

“Perhaps you should’ve covered your bits up instead of flashing everyone with a blue moon.”

“Screw you, Cora.”

“No I won’t. And speaking of people who won’t, he is unique, isn’t he?” Cora smiled an insidious smile.

“Who?”

“Jaal. I’m amazed all that staring hasn’t burned a hole in his armor.”

“You’re saying your not a little curious?”

“I say nothing. Other than this, if you wanted to know what he looked like naked, you should’ve asked Ryder.”

“What?!” Peebee leaped from her seat. “Did they, I mean, have they?”

“Not saying anything else,” Cora smiled and sauntered out.

“No, come on, please? I promise I won’t make fun of your weird fascination with asari anymore.”

She got no reply, but nevertheless stalked Cora to the kitchen.

“I’ll even let you stare at my ass! It’s not strange, I stare at Ryder’s the whole time!”

Inside the kitchen by the coffee machine, Ryder turned around and raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Really? Should I be flattered or worried?”

“Hey, I thought you were only staring at my ass, Peebee” Liam said, appearing in the background.

“Don’t get your hopes up, because Peebee said she likes me, she really likes me.” Vetra had made an entrance, flaring her mandibles wide.

“By the Goddess, should I be checking the entire crew for scale itch,” Lexi’s voice sounded over the comms.

“I hate you all,” Peebee hissed and stomped out to accompanying laughter.

 

* * *

 

Reyes Vidal. Right this moment she wanted to murder the man. He hadn’t shown up at the appointed time, and now they were prisoners of a detachment of Roekaar hidden in the Draullir Caves.

The woman leading them was impossible to reason with, and yet Ryder made every attempt. She even tried wheedling herself on Farah Noskos’ good side by telling her she let Akksul live, but nothing worked. They would be executed no matter what. Farah pulled out her ceremonial dagger, pointing it to Ryder’s throat. A loud shot reverberated throughout the caves, and Farah let out a pained scream as the knife was shot out of her hand. Out of nowhere Reyes burst onto the scene, rifle held high.

“Not so fast.”

“You’re late,” Ryder quipped and gave him a look.

“I’ve got a good reason, you’ll see in three, two, one..”

A large explosion ripped through the Roekaar camp.

“Still mad?” he smiled.

Ryder shook her head, then dived for her rifle. Time to kill the stragglers.

 

After the fight, they searched the camp and found evidence that the local Roekaar was the ones behind the string of murders in Kadara. They targeted sympathizers and aliens in general, and Ryder felt a pang of worry for her own angara. He could be in danger from helping them.

“You were right,” she said to Reyes. “These logs prove they came here for recruits, then started killing the locals.”

“And now they’re dead. Don’t you love a happy ending?” Reyes drawled.

Taking out anything or anyone that would harm her crew was a happy ending in Ryder’s mind, and she nodded at him. When they made it back to the entrance of the cave it was time to part ways. Reyes wanted a few final words before that.

“Don't’ worry, I’ll let all the important people know who to thank.”

“We make a good team,” Ryder said earnestly, and they did. Reyes was a good fighter.

“Careful,” he smirked, “I’ll start thinking you like me.”

More out of old habit than anything else, she replied “Would that be so bad?”

“Depends.” Reyes smiled at her two companions and did his usual disappearing act.

Ryder turned to her team and was about to give the order to leave, when she caught Jaal’s eyes. They were big and hurt. She felt a rush of shame overcome her, but why? They weren’t dating. No promises were made, and yet.. the inexplicable feeling of having crossed some line gnawed in the back of her mind.

“Uh, right. We should head back.”

Vetra and Jaal followed her, but Jaal kept staring on the ground and remained silent the entire ride back to Kadara.

 

* * *

 

The ordeal wasn’t over. Kadara needed to be restored, and the one person they needed to help them was the very same man that made Jaal so upset. Upon returning to the port, Ryder had to return to Tartarus and speak with their charming contact.

“Ryder! Perfect timing. You saved me the trouble of looking for you.”

“Should I go? You look like the type who enjoys the chase.” Her words were meant as a sarcastic retort, seeing as Reyes was sitting on his backside in his favorite bar again, while they had been planet jumping for weeks trying to sort out everyone’s problem. The ‘harrumph’ behind her told her that Jaal wasn’t hearing it that way, and the smirk on Reyes’ face said the same. He chuckled.

“Looks can be deceiving. I’m too shy for that nonsense.”

“Oh, yeah. A real introvert. So, what did you need me for?”

“A business rival – Zia Cordier – lifted some cargo I was moving for a client. I need to get it back.”

“And need my help?”

“We worked so well on the Roekaar job, I thought you’d be.. willing.” Reyes winked.

Under any other circumstances, Ryder would have loved being pursued by a charm boat like Reyes, but his innuendos made her feel like someone else was burning a hole in the back of her armor with stares. She decided to make it about credits, and maybe deter Reyes from such comments.

“We split the profits, 50-50.”

He merely chuckled again. “60-40. Final offer.”

“Deal. How did this Zia get hold of your cargo?”

“Her usual Tactics. Got my middleman drunk, and stole his ship.”

Ryder jumped on the chance. “Sounds like you know from experience.

For the first time since she’d known Reyes, he seemed genuinely annoyed.

“Please. I keep to a three drink maximum when I’m on a job. Speaking of drinks, when she’s stops in Kadara, Zia drinks at Kralla’s song. We’ll start there. See if Umi heard anything that could help us.”

“Meet you there.” Ryder left Tartarus with Vetra and Jaal in tow, the latter more downcast than ever.

 

* * *

 

Upstairs wasn’t doing wonders for Ryder’s crew members. Vetra extracted herself to go about her shady business, but Jaal stayed sullenly by her side, even following her into Kralla’s song. Drack was already there, making a scene by scaring a trio of drunk salarians and drinking more than was appropriate for a krogan his age, at least according to Kesh. Ryder decided to have a few words with Jaal, see how he was holding up after these continuous missions. Even if he wasn’t the only angara in the bar, he looked very out of place.

“Pathfinder. I’m uncomfortable here. I’m trying to be cheerful, but I’m not doing a good job.” He sounded irritated.

“Ssh, Jaal! Keep your voice down.” The last thing they needed was another Tempest crew member causing a scene.

“Why!? I’m not ashamed of my feelings,” he snapped.

For some reason, his words hit home, and Ryder felt her cheeks burn. She wasn’t ashamed of her feelings, she just wasn’t sure to which feelings he was referring. Not at all. She’d done nothing wrong. Reyes was their contact, that he liked her was a bonus, but that man liked everyone that crossed his path, if he could gain an advantage from it. No reason not to exploit it. Her internal reasoning sounded hollow even to her, and she refrained from saying them aloud. Instead she left Jaal mumbling in his corner and joined Reyes at the bar.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.”

He smiled his suave smile. “That’s my line.”

Behind the bar, Umi groaned. “You want a drink or a room?”

“Information, actually.” Reyes leaned forward.

“That’ll cost you more than a round of drinks.”

“My friend’s good for it,” he drawled and nodded to Ryder.

She shook her head. The man was incorrigible. “I’ll expect a favor in return.”

“You’re one person I’ll happily owe something.”

Ryder noticed he had beautiful golden brown eyes, and got distracted for a moment. Umi rolled her eyes.

“Ugh. What do you want to know.”

Reyes dropped his smoldering gaze and turned to Umi.

“Zia Cordier. She been around recently?”

“You mean your ex? Yeah, she was here.”

“Ex? As in girlfriend?” Ryder scowled at him. Was this a sordid lover’s quarrel? It wasn’t like there was a shit load of things to do before heading to Meridian, and she was stuck chasing after his old girlfriends?!

“Girlfriend is such a strong word. We had drinks occasionally. So..” he gave an embarrassed cough,“she was here?”

“Yeah. Meet with a salarian. Shifty guy, I’d never seen before. Maybe it was the Charlatan.”

“Anything’s possible. You overhear their conversation?”

“They were planning to meet someone at Spirit’s Ledge.”

“Thanks, Umi.” He turned back to Ryder.

“You go to the meeting spot, I’ll follow up on the Collective lead. Doubt Zia was meeting the Charlatan, but you never know.”  
Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Is this job about getting your cargo back, or one-upping an ex?”

“Why Ryder.. are you jealous?” The smug expression on her face told her he would love it if she were.

“Just answer the question.”

“It’s about the cargo,” he chuckled, now convinced that she was irritated about Zia.

She was upset, but not for the reason he imagined. Another man with a problematic ex in his life. They were everywhere.

 

* * *

 

After spending far to much time driving the Nomad all over the Kadara wilderness, they finally tracked down the supposed hiding place for the stolen cargo. Supposed, because nothing was ever that simple. Reyes was surprised when the crates came up empty, but Ryder had been expecting something like this, and told him. Getting involved with a mission that involved someone’s old flame was never a good idea. Just as she armed her rifle, a woman with a red bangs walked in the door.

“Bravo. I knew you’d figure it out eventually.”

“Zia!” he hissed.

“You could never resist a big payout.”

Ryder reflected that this was probably true, and Reyes himself admitted it seconds later.

“What can I say? I’m a greedy man.”

“That's’ why you don’t have any friends. You’re selfish.”

The self-righteous tone grated on Ryder’s nerves, and she decided to grate Zia back.

“Reyes is a better man than you think.”

The comment took both Reyes and Zia by surprise. Zia recovered first.

“Oh, honey. You’ve no idea how wrong you are. But you will.”

“Leave her out of this,” Reyes snapped.

Zia chuckled. “You must really like this one, Reyes.”

This one? Did everyone assume she’d bedded the man, or at least wanted to? Reyes angry retort pulled her from her reveries.

“Cut the shit? What’s this all about?”

“You’ve been taking all the good jobs in Kadara. It’s gotten more than my attention.”

“So what? The local smuggling union got together and decided to take me down?”

“Something like that,” Zia shrugged and pulled her gun.

Ryder had been in enough firefights to know the beginning of one, and aimed her own rifle.

“Ah.. shit,” Reyes sighed and dived for cover.

 

It was a short and intense fight, but with Jaal, Reyes and Drack on her team they made short work of the smugglers. Afterwards, Reyes told her he needed to bury his ex-girlfriend, and Ryder decided it was time to return to the Tempest. Drack seemed eager to return to the med-bay, for some reason, but Jaal was still silent. This change in his behavior was unsettling, and right now Ryder had no idea of how to make her usually talkative angara speak again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, flirting can be problematic both ways? Who would've thought that?  
> And I love Reyes as a character :D  
> A shameless flirt, a conniving bastard and double-crossing kingpin extraordinaire.  
> And my love for Kaetus has diminished since replaying the game and finding the note in Nakamora's lab where Kaetus instructs the drug Oblivion to be as addictive as possible, possibly creating a whole mindless drug addicted underclass. Not cool, Kaetus. Looks like Sloane gets that bullet next time too.


	11. Roles reversed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look who's flirting now.

_To: Jaal Ama Darav_

_From Sahuna Ama Darav_

 

_My dear son. It is not like you to be this slow. When you were a child, you were always first in line at the dinner table. This man Reyes has seen that Ryder does not have a mate, since you have not made your intentions known. Your little pathfinder has many talents, but mind reading is not one of them. Make yourself known. Compliment her. I had plans to buy a paripo fruit for my future daughter in law to celebrate, but at this rate, all of your olaons will have brought home a taoshay before you. Get a move on!_

 

_Your mother_

_Sahuna_

 

Jaal read the message two more times. It was clear that his mother was becoming impatient with his procrastination of enticing Ryder to be his mate. If Jaal was to judge from the looks Drack gave him lately, so was the ancient krogan. If Drack and his mother ever teamed up on him.. Jaal shuddered at the thought. How could he start? Something that would signal his interest, and would allow her to signal back? Hmm.. He had to make good use of the time while they were away from Kadara. That Reyes fellow was too keen on Ryder. Jaal would gladly have given him any other female on the ship, if the smuggler would keep those grubby mitts off his Ryder. He looked down at the work bench. What could he do that no one else could? Hmm..

 

* * *

 

“And things were going so great,” Peebee whined loudly. “Now Ryder walks around with a confused look on her face and Jaal is moping in the Tech Lab.”

“Is that all you care about?” Gil hissed and tapped furiously on his console. “I can’t seem to hack into the surveillance feed any longer, and that black eyed git in the cockpit is doubtlessly to blame.”

“Our bet is not important anymore?”

“I was winning that anyway, now that Reyes is in the picture. No, that slimy little salamander is up to something. I saw him smiling at me during breakfast. Should’ve known something was up then. He’s disabled my shortcuts.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of genius when it comes to programming? Not seeing much of that now,” Peebee said smugly.

“Be quiet. Your azure allures don’t work on me.” Gil stared at the screen as if he tried to bend the software to his will.

“Whatever. Since you’re such a technical failure, I’ll go spy the old fashioned way.”

“Good!” he snapped and didn’t even look up from the console.

So the one thing that could unhinge Gil Brodie was that sneaky salarian. Good to know, Peebee thought and left the teeth grinding engineer to struggle with being locked out of his own spy program.

 

* * *

 

Ryder awoke with a start. For some reason, she had a feeling that someone had just been staring at her in her sleep, but the room was completely empty. Her muscles sent waves of pain to all her joints when she forced herself to get up and shimmy into her sweatpants. Twenty two years old, and she already felt ancient. Soon she would be like Drack, full of spare parts and gravel. It was too early for anyone to be up yet, and she schlepped herself over to her study and dropped down in front of her holo-screen. Time to check if there was any annoying messages from Director Tann, or some settler had fallen down a well and needed saving. Ryder pressed the archive button several times before she became aware of the small bottle on the desk.

“SAM, do you know what this is?”

“Negative, pathfinder. It looks like one of doctor T’Perro’s sample bottles.”

“Has anyone been in here without my authorization?”

“Uncertain. The bottle was not here yesterday, but I have no recording of anyone entering or leaving.”

“A cloaking device?”

“Possibly. More data is needed.”

“Right.” Ryder raised an eyebrow at the bottle. It was unlikely anyone was going to murder her with this thing, since they could have killed her in her sleep.”

A small niggling memory made itself known. Someone had said that not long ago. The cork came off with a small pop, and a pleasant fragrance rose from the bottle. It was like the smell of wet grass, mixed with a discreet flower essence. The combination was very pleasing. Now who had told her they could kill her in her sleep, and also took pride in every aspect of his person..? There could only be one. The thought of the angara sneaking in here in the middle of the night should’ve been a lot more creepy, but this morning, Ryder found it strangely endearing. After all, who knew if this was some sort of angara ritualistic display of interest. She’d seen Jaal use his stealth on the battlefield, that he could also use it to spread perfume was sweet, if a little disturbing. All in all, it could have been worse. Ryder took a few drops and dabbed them on her neck and wrists. No reason to be ungrateful.

 

* * *

 

“You smell nice,” Cora remarked as Ryder got her coffee. “Brought that with you from home?”

“Nah,” Ryder said, “I sort of found it laying around.” She glanced at Jaal, who was standing in his corner with a plate of nutri-paste and a soft smile on his face. When she gave the angara a quick wink, his neck flaps glowed purple and he harrumphed discreetly.

“Got a problem with your throat, Jaal?” Drack said through mouthfuls of frozen snails.

“Uh, no, I was just disturbed by the way you eat.”

“Waddya mean, the way I eat?” the krogan growled menacingly.

“I.. I think I’m expecting a message from Havarl.” Jaal disappeared from the room.

“Drack, give the guy a break. I’m disturbed by the way you eat, too,” Ryder smiled.

“Got nuthin’ to do with food,” Drack said and dropped four more snails into his maw. “That boy needs to get a move on.”

“I’m not even going to ask.” Ryder picked up a small sandwich and went back to her cabin.

 

* * *

 

When Cora left, Drack and Kallo were the last ones in the kitchen.

“So, what have you found so far?” Drack asked the twitching salarian.

“That Brodie had installed an easy access system under the main surveillance program. He had direct access to this entire ship without my approval.”

“Hrmm.. I see. And what did he do with that?”

“From what I can tell, he’s been spying on Ryder since we stabilized the planet Havarl. Peebee is involved with this too. The two of them seem to be having a sort of wager involving Ryder and Jaal’s relationship.”  
The krogan’s yellow eyes narrowed, and Kallo was glad he was not the one meddling in Ryder’s love life.

“I don’t like that,” Drack said darkly.

Kallo cursed his eidetic memory at this moment. The look on Drack’s face and the slow scraping sound of claws dragged across the table would haunt his memories. Unless he pictured the krogan’s wrath directed at Gil Brodie? Kallo’s shoulders relaxed. That helped.

“You’re blocking him for now?” Drack asked with an angry expression.

“Yes. Whatever Jaal and Ryder is up to now, they’re on their own.”

Drack sighed, and the smell of snails wafted over to Kallo’s nose. It twitched.

“Not that Jaal’s doing much about anything in the moment. Maybe I need to talk to the boy again.”

“Oh, I don’t know. At least Ryder was wearing his homemade perfume this morning,” Kallo said through a grimace. Kadara snails had a really unpleasant odor.

“What, that grass thing? Hmm. Perhaps he’s not as feckless as I thought. Just keep those two troublemakers out of Ryder’s business. She has enough to deal with when with that angara. I’ll deal with the two of them soon enough. And keep me informed of what they’re up to.” He rose from his seat with a whirring noise.

“Damn knee. Lexi’s going to tan my hide for not oiling enough.”

He limped out and Kallo sat alone for a minute, this time happy for his ability to remember. The day a krogan swore to deal with Brodie would be a day he would remember with fondness.

 

* * *

 

In the weeks that followed, Ryder noticed two things. One, her relationship with Jaal was growing into something new and strange. He was always around when she needed help, eager to talk and often leaving a discreet little gift he’d made himself. Even she could now apprehend the happiness on his face whenever she came over to talk, and his reluctance to let her leave. Two, she ended up taking him along for almost every mission, and felt guilty when she occasionally left him on the Tempest. With those big blue mournful eyes staring at her, she felt like she’d just unintentionally kicked a pink puppy, and she missed having him at her side. She told him the latter part one day they were standing on the walkway over the Nomad.

“I miss you when you’re not on a mission with me. Specifically you.”

“Because of my skill and knowledge?” Jaal asked carefully.

“Not really,” she admitted with a small smile.

“Because you enjoy spending time with me, as much as I do with you?”

“You do?” she teased him. “I had no idea.”

Jaal seemed to understand she was only joking.

“Yes. You’re fascinating. And special. And strange,” he smiled teasingly back.

Ryder chuckled. “Aw, thanks.”

“And I mean it. Even more than last time I said it.” He stepped forward and took her hand again. “Ryder, I..”

“Pathfinder, you have an urgent call from Kadara.” SAM’s interruption made them both startle.

“What, now?” Ryder felt like something had just been snatched from her.

“Yes. It’s from Reyes Vidal. He needs your assistance at once.”

Reluctantly, she dislodged her hand from Jaal’s. “I better go see what that’s about.”

“May I accompany you?” Jaal sounded tense.

“Sure. Don’t see why not.”

Ryder had meant Kadara, but Jaal seemingly meant the vid-call room. It didn’t make much difference to Ryder. What could Reyes have to say that Jaal shouldn’t hear?”

 

“Ryder! I was just thinking about you.” Reyes’ charm oozed even through the bad connection with Kadara.

Ryder smiled. He was up to his old tricks again.

“I’d love to hear more, but this isn’t a private channel.” She flicked a glance at Jaal, but he didn’t get the joke. He was standing with his arms crossed and a very determined look n his face.

“I could tell you over drinks,” Reyes drawled. “Sloane’s holding a local get together for the locals. I managed to snag an invite. Care to be my plus-one?”

“Sloane doesn’t seem like the party type,” Ryder said in puzzlement.

“She sees these events as a necessary evil to keep the people happy.”

“Are you asking me out?” She raised an eyebrow.

Reyes shrugged in a non-committal way. “I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”

“And if I don’t want you to be a gentleman?”

“That can be arranged.”

“I never say no to free drinks.”

A soft cough was heard behind her. Shit, she’d forgot he was there, but Reyes flirting was almost irresistible.

“Especially when they’re from Sloane’s private reserves. I’ll meet you outside Outcast HQ.”

“Uh, yeah. See you there.”

The holo of Reyes disappeared, and she turned guiltily to Jaal. “I’m sure he wants to ingratiate himself with Sloane and wants my help to do it.”

“I’m sure,” Jaal replied dryly.

“I won’t stay all night,” Ryder said again, unsure of why she was feeling so defensive.

“You are the pathfinder,” Jaal said with a defeated expression. “You can do as you please.”

When he walked away, Ryder had a sinking feeling in her stomach. This was not going the way she intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was replaying again, and it's so easy to start flirting with Reyes even if you're trying to romance one of the other characters. You really feel like a dick when you even have your intended romance partner in the crew, and still choose the heart option with that charming smarmy smuggler. sigh..


	12. Nice and whiskey does it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder goes to a party, and Jaal has a moment of self reflection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this isn't entirely how the party went down, but needs must when writing a fanfic :D

 

“I can’t believe we’re going back to that dump.” Peebee crossed her arms and dropped down in her chair. “I can’t believe Ryder would consider going to a party with that philanderer either.”

“I can,” Gil grinned. “I can imagine all sorts of things with Reyes. “That smile, that accent.. He could make me pitch a tent any time of the day.”

“Ew, stop it. I don’t want to hear about that.”

“What, just because you’re not the center of attention? Cry-baby.”

“This is no longer just about Jaal.” Peebee glared at Gil. “It’s about you, and the punishment you deserve. You’ve robbed me of almost every credit I’ve got.”

Gil shrugged. “Not my fault you bet on the wrong horse. More like a gelding than a stallion.”

“Oh, you think you’re so clever. Hubris doesn’t look good on you.”

“I think I look rather smashing, in fact.” Gil’s wide smile was met with a scowl.

“I will get you, Gil Brodie, if it’s the last thing I do.”

 

* * *

 

During their approach to Kadara, Jaal stood alone in the Tech Lab, carelessly flicking a screwdriver between his fingers. On the wall, the lotions he usually smeared on his neckflaps stood sealed and unused, the same for his bottles of scents and perfumes. The flaps was dry and slightly cracked, showing days of neglect in personal appearance. What was the point? Ryder’s lack of interest in him was apparent. After trying so hard for weeks, she still showed a great interest in that Reyes character whenever he showed up. Jaal had tried giving gifts, being a good supporter, flirted with her, and still she showed an interest in other men. Things were much better before they ever went to Kadara, when he had Ryder all to himself. Sure, he’d been a little slow on the uptake and been a little standoffish, but they should be past that now, right?

Jaal slumped down on his bedroll. What fascination did that skkutted smuggler hold to women? He was a criminal, a lowly thief, and looked nothing out of the ordinary for humans. There was nothing inherently interesting about him, not like a new and exotic species to explore, like Peebee was when he’d first met her. A feeling of having lived that moment before came over him. Him and Peebee.. had been flirting a lot in those early days, before she suddenly changed her mind. Her interest in him blew out when he’d talked about family, and he’d turned to Vetra. Siblings were an interesting subject to him, family was important to all angara, but where was Ryder back then? He remembered truly ‘seeing’ her for the first time the day they liberated the kett facility, but before that? Ever present in the background, but never in his mind?

Jaal felt a pang of guilt in his chest. The familiarity of this moment. Being pushed aside, in favor of others. Drack’s words, _‘why Ryder?’_ He’d done it all himself! She’d tried to approach him as a friend, and he willfully kept her at a distance, as a potential enemy. Only her. The other aliens aboard this ship had been so easy to get acquainted with, but she as their leader was potentially dangerous, and he’d pushed her away, again and again. The realization struck like a hammerblow. While Ryder was saving Havarl, he was telling Vetra he liked looking at Peebee. He'd talked a lot about Peebee in general. Then he’d told Vetra she was elegant like a dancer. While they were making Voeld habitable, he told Cora he liked her physique. As part of a plan to seduce Ryder, but still, the pattern was there. No wonder Drack and his mother was so angry with him. And now Ryder was acting in the same manner towards him, looking in all directions without fixing her gaze on one in particular. It hurt more than he’d ever thought possible, and Jaal felt his eyes burn. In that same moment, the landing thrusters started to burn, and the Tempest shook from bow to stern as the landing gear descended. Skies, they were already here! He had to talk to her, before it was too late.

 

* * *

 

The cargo hold was open when Jaal burst in, but he saw only Vetra and Gil.

“Where is the pathfinder?!”

“You just missed her. She’s gone to meet Reyes.”

“I must follow.” Jaal moved towards the entrance.

“You won’t get further than the entrance to the port. Security has the place on lockdown during the party,” Gil said from his alcove.

“No..” Jaal’s shoulders sunk and he stared longingly at the heavy armored door.

“Hey, you got nothing to worry about,” Vetra smiled and slapped his back. “Reyes will keep her safe. He’s one of the most competent thieves I know.”

“And now he will steal my heart,” Jaal whispered to himself.

He'd lost her. Reyes would swoop in and claim her affections, leaving him to observe from a distance the happiness that could've been his. If only he was stronger, faster, more experienced, less stupid. He'd lost again.

Jaal placed one foot in front of the other, blindly leaving the cargo hold for a quiet refuge. His world was about to burn again, and he had no fight left in his soul.

 

* * *

 

True to form, Reyes was nowhere to be seen when Ryder approached the Outcast Headquarter. If Reyes had entered first, she would strangle the man. The bouncer looked her up and down when she asked to get in. Another guy who needed a good throttling.

“Hold up. This is a private event.” The guard had only one eye, but it leered enough for three.

“Name’s Ryder. Human Pathfinder. I’m kind of a big deal.” Nowhere in any universe had that line worked, but she wanted an excuse to punch him in the face.

“There’s no Ryder on the list,” the guard sneered.

Behind her Reyes appeared, looking smug as hell.

“She’s with me. Reyes Vidal.” He sauntered past the guard as if he owned the place.

The guard glared at her. “Go on in.”

She followed Reyes into the large audience hall, where they were greeted by a female angara.

“Reyes Vidal. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”

He smiled. “Remember what I said about fashionably late?”

It sounded like a private joke between the pair.

“Shh. Introduce me to your companion.”

“Pathfinder, meet Keema Dohrgrun, the angaran representative to Sloane. And a friend.”

Ryder glanced at Reyes. “I didn’t think Reyes had friends. Only contacts and colleagues.”

“Oh, I’m those as well. Who do you think secured him an invitation to this event?”

Keema Dohrgrun cast a mischievous look at her friend. “I was hoping he’d bring you, pathfinder. You’re all he talks about lately.”

Ryder chuckled. “Is that so?”

“Yes, well, sorry to cut this short, but I have to take care of something.”

“Aw, abandoning me already?”

“It won’t tale long. There are important players here tonight. You should mingle. Make a good impression.”

Ryder sighed. Another man who made overtures to everyone, and stayed with no one. She shook her head.

“Do you treat all your dates this way, or am I special?”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

When she raised an eyebrow at him, he laughed.

“Promise.”

Ryder shrugged. She didn’t trust him farther than she could throw Drack without biotics.

“And there he goes.” Keema looked delighted to have a moment without him.

“Any idea of what he’s up to?”

“It’s better not to worry about what Reyes does. Enjoy the party.”

 

* * *

 

Out of a sense of obligation, Ryder made her rounds. Sloane was her ever unpleasant self, Kaetus still madly in love with her, and the rest of the players trying to one up each others for credits, power or status. The stench of alcohol, lust and sweat that permeated that place made her nauseated. Karada’s people couldn’t really be blamed for the lack of clean water on this planet, she had yet to activate the vault, but she’d gotten used to nice smelling companions.

Speaking of which, it was time to find her wayward smuggler and get out of here. It was getting late. She circled back to Keema in the hopes that she’d know where Reyes was.

“Good to see you again, pathfinder.”

“Have you seen Reyes?”

“No, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” She grinned. “He likes you.”

“I’ve gotten that impression,” Ryder said with a weary voice.

“And he thinks he’s so subtle.”

Reyes shrugged. The man was nowhere to be seen inside the main hall, and she left the noise and din by discreetly exiting to the outside corridor. She walked along to escape the leering guard, and noticed one of the side storage rooms were open. Inside there were sounds of breaking crates and rustling.

“Damn it. Why can’t the serial numbers be in the same spot.”

It was Reyes, because of course it was. That bloody little thief. She sauntered in and placed her hands on her hips.

“ _Take the night off. Come out for a drink._ Should’ve known you were up to something.”

He jumped to his feet, looking startled.

“Ryder! It’s not what it looks like.”

“So you didn’t use me as a distraction to go through Sloane’s stuff?”

He teetered on lying to her face, but thought better of it.

“Okay, yes. But it’s for both our benefit. I promise.”

She sighed. “You’ve been making a lot of promises..”

His eyes darted to something behind her, and his expression changed.

“Shit! Someone’s coming. We need a distraction.”

Before she knew it, Reyes had enveloped her in his arms and was kissing her like there was no tomorrow. He was very skilled at it. Ryder found herself kissing him back until she opened her eyes and expected to see ocean blue eyes gazing back at her, but was met with the golden brown sparkle of Reyes Vidal. Behind them, the guard had arrived.

“How dare you,” Ryder bellowed and slammed her right fist straight in Reyes’ face. “Think you can have your way with an innocent flower like me? You debauched pirate.”

“Whoa, whoa, easy lady,” the guard said and got between them. “Are you all right, man?”

Reyes stared at her, and she had difficulties keeping a straight face.

“I, uh, was going too fast with my girl here. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure? She looks kinda vicious.”

“That’s what I like about her.” Reyes rubbed his blackened eye and smiled.

“All right, I did warn you.” The guard shot a cautioning look at her before leaving them.

“Uh, next time, let’s agree on the plan,” Reyes said carefully.

“Sounds fair. No surprise kissing and no punching.”

“Deal.” He sounded relieved, and turned to climb a set of crates.

“Finally! Here it is.”

Ryder couldn’t believe her eyes.

“That’s what this was all about? Whiskey?”

“The only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda. Triple distilled and 645 years old. This isn’t whiskey, it’s treasure.”

“I hope you’re planning on sharing that.”

“Hah. We’ll see. Let’s get out of here.”

 

* * *

 

The remainder of the evening was spent drinking the most expensive whiskey in the Andromeda galaxy with a man she’d just punched, and it was surprisingly fun. The alcohol made Reyes serious for a short while, and the man was more than his flirtatious front. He genuinely liked Kadara, and wanted to be more than he was right now. Ryder could understand the sentiment. She’d always been ambitious, but assuming her fathers place so soon had not been part of her plans. She couldn’t begrudge Reyes his ambitions, not even the kiss itself, only the slight sprain in her hand after the punch. Lexi would be her first stop after returning to the Tempest. After that it was straight to bed. With half a bottle of whiskey inside her belly, this was not the time to reflect on why she was imagining angaran eyes when kissed by a human man. She laughed at something Reyes said, and saw the ghost of a pink apparition with a blue visor over his face. The bottle in her hand felt very light, as did her head, and she read the label again. 645 years old, potent and powerful. No, this was not the time to confront the angara probably sleeping in her Tech Lab. Not at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really tried to write much pure angst before, but here it is :) Time for the angara to face the music.


	13. Home is where the heart is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaal overhears something to his advantage, and Drack ruins everything.

Jaal had not slept a wink since Ryder left the Tempest. It was early in the morning cycle, and she had not yet returned. A heartfelt plea to SAM of alerting him whenever the pathfinder was back on board bore fruit, and now all that was left was to wait. He kept tinkering with everything in the Lab, polishing this and welding that, but nothing could keep his attention for long. Finally, after what felt like a karkyn’s lifespan, SAM alerted him to her arrival. Jaal needed to know if all was lost, and walked out of the Tech Lab, only to see Ryder hurry along to the med bay clutching her wrist. A great surge of wrath welled inside him, that kett licker Reyes hadn’t managed to protect her, but allowed her to be injured on his watch. Quickly, he slid down the ladder and followed Ryder to the doctor’s room. The door was slightly ajar due to the fact that Lexi was still airing out the place after her examination of his exalted kin. Jaal leaned against the wall and waited, feeling a tinge of shame for listening in on Ryder’s private conversation with her doctor. Illness was a very personal thing.

“How did we manage this?” Lexi’s voice was mildly scolding.

“You know how it is, go to a party, get kissed by a handsome stranger, punch the stranger in the jaw, hurt your wrist. Practically mundane.”

Jaal’s jaw dropped. What kind of parties was humans used to?

“Almost krogan, if one thinks about it,” Lexi chuckled, and Jaal heard her rustling in a drawer.

“Here it is. Some medigel should clear that right up.”

“Thanks. Wouldn’t want to unfit for service just for giving that pirate what he deserves.”

_That pirate.._ In his chest, Jaal felt a surge of hope.

“Whom, Reyes? You actually hit Reyes Vidal in the face? That.. handsome face?”

Jaal heard Ryder chuckle.

“Oh no, not you too. That man worms his way into almost every heart.”

_Almost._ Jaal tried to suppress a hopeful prayer.

“He kissed me without my permission. The man is not a bad kisser, by any means, but I.. was expecting someone else when I opened my eyes and looked at him.”

_Someone else!?_ His breath hitched.

“Want to clue me in on this someone? Might need to prepare an emergency stash of ointments and salves if you’re getting experimental.”

Another chuckle from Ryder. “Maybe. This person is a bit exotic. Perhaps when something has actually happened.”

“You know, if we’re talking about a first contact situation, I would love to get explicit details. For science, of course.”

“Science, is it? Why not, since it’s purely professional. Should something happen. Which I doubt, at this pace.”

Jaal heard Ryder getting up to leave, but he had a distinct feeling this was not the appropriate time. His stealth cloak activated with a small buzz, and he vanished from sight. Back in the Tech Lab he sagged on his cot in relief. Ryder had not been tempted to fall for that awful man. And Jaal himself had to be the exotic one she was talking about, right? It would not be Drack. Couldn’t be. The krogan would crush tiny Ryder under him like a karkyn. Peebee? Ryder had never shown interest in the asari. Vetra? It might be Vetra. The turian and Ryder went along very well together, but she’d shown more interest in him lately and held his hand sometimes. It had to be him. Things were too busy now, but after Meridian, he would invite her home. To meet an angara’s family was a big step, one he hoped she would recognize for what it was; An earnest declaration of honest intention.

 

* * *

 

The trip to Meridian had been disastrous. After reaching it’s core and discovering thousands upon thousands of the angara ‘templates,’ Ryder had been in a state of disbelief. SAM’s declaration of

“Pattern One Three. Viability 56.2%, Genetic template transmitted for testing.” had made her jump, but the angara inside wasn’t dead. It had simply never been alive. Genetic prototypes, one more refined than the next. The Jardaan had created a species to inhabit the Heleus cluster, the purpose for that still unknown. She downloaded what information SAM could find on the process and transferred the data to the Tempest. Peebee would be ecstatic. The angara would be devastated. Best leave these things to their Moshae. Jaal was uncharacteristically quiet and contemplative during the whole mission, and Ryder made a mental not to check up on him later.

 

* * *

 

“Hello Sarah. Have you come to see if I’m finally broken? To see what discovering that my people were created has done to me?

“Just here if you need to talk. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling.”  
“I’ve been staring out the window, trying to figure that out.”

Ryder smiled. “That’s new.”

A small smile appeared briefly on his lips. “True. Angara are usually very free with our feelings.”

Ryder hesitated, but decided she would be as direct as she could.

“I’m not talking about all angara, I’m talking about _you_!”

Jaal closed his eyes and savored her words before he spoke.

“I’m.. numb. I’m in awe. There’s a peace knowing that, though the universe is beyond our understanding, it doesn’t need our understanding to function. That you may even have a hidden destiny.”

“Does it matter? Your people aren’t shackled to this new discovery.” It came out more hotly than she intended.

Jaal smiled broadly. “I agree. We don’t owe anything to the Jardaan. Our destiny is our own. I’m not broken, Sarah. I’m excited. The angara were created for a purpose. We were given vaults and golden worlds, all these advanced tools and there is nothing the kett can do about it. The future holds more for the angara than a never-ending war with the kett. Much more.”

His passionate explanation for a conundrum that would have cost her many nights sleep was endearing, and it was contagious.

“I really love that you can be this open and vulnerable with me. Thank you.”

“You make me feel safe. It doesn’t matter who created us. And Sarah..”

Jaal got close to her and gently took her hand.

“I want to take you somewhere. Somewhere that holds the greatest importance to all angara. To show how much I appreciate all you have done for my people. And me.”

Ever since Ryder had realized that her interest in Jaal ran a little deeper than she’d imagined, getting this close to him raised her pulse rapidly, something SAM was quick to remind her on their private channel. She ignored the AI and looked at the angara.

“What place is that?”

“Home.”

Ryder smiled when she left the Tech Lab, and then realized something. He’d called her Sarah at every opportunity.. and she liked it.

 

* * *

 

“Why are we going to Havarl again? I want to return to the Nexus to consult with our researchers there.” Peebee wrote furiously in her notes, completely absorbed by the data from Meridian. Not even the annoying presence of Gil could ruin this moment. The information contained within that place was the key to all remnant studies, and the improvement of Poc and Zap. She would truly be the Goddess of machines, if this data could be deciphered.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s something to do with the angara. I don’t like it.” Gil crossed his arms and stared at his console.

“What now? Still locked out of your system? Aaww..”

“It shouldn’t be possible. I’ve tried everything, making more complex algorithms, making less complex algorithms, setting up very primitive audio surveillance.. did you know that Drack _ate_ the last one?!”

Peebee glanced up from her notes.

“So that’s the reason the blue harpy was yelling at him yesterday. Something about taking better care of his nutrient intake?”

“Stupid krogan. I hope she whips his tail.”

“Speaking of whippings, Reyes didn’t manage to seduce Ryder, so now you owe _me_ credits.”

“A minor setback,” Gil scoffed, but transferred credits to their data chit.

A message pinged on her omni-tool.

“Looks like Ryder and Jaal are disembarking the Tempest alone. Hmm..”

“Dammit, we need to know what they’re up to. Maybe I can hack his visor.” Gil began frantically pushing buttons.

“Humans.. I have a much better solution. We’ll get live feed from one of my robots, I’ll just manually steer them after them. If what I think is going to happen, happens, you owe me every credit in that pad.”

Peebee grinned smugly, but Gil merely shrugged.

“Nobody’s been in anybody’s bed yet. This is a high stakes game, and you always falter on the last hand.”

“Not my hands you need to worry about,” Peebee snickered. “It’s Jaal putting his paws on Ryder’s ass.”

Gil swore after her when she hurried to her escape pod to activate Poc. Upon approach, she heard the massive roars of a krogan and the sound of metal being torn apart. She broke into a run.

Inside the escape pod, Poc and Zap was spread around a very old and toothy krogan.

“There you are,” Drack growled. “These things tried to stop me from entering the gravity chamber. Lexi’s orders, you know.”

“You.. you.. you.. PYJAK-BRAINED OAF! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY REMNANTS!”

“Yeah, yeah, calm yer tits. They can be rebuilt, I don’t have much more regeneration in me, so I take precedent.”

“I will kill you for this, Drack! Look at this! They’re completely flat!”

“Whoops,” Drack said with a cruel grin. “These things happen, ya know. Maybe you can get Gil to help you with reprogramming.”

He waded out past her, and Peebee felt a sting of uneasiness as his back disappeared down the hall. Something was happening here that they hadn’t planned on. When had Drack gotten this tech savvy?

 

* * *

 

“Jaal, Jaal!”

His mother ran up to them and crushed her son in a big hug.

“No more bad news, I hope?”

“No. I wanted to show the pathfinder where I grew up. Ryder, this is my true mother, Sahuna Ama Darav.”

The angara was an affectionate species, and Ryder decided to try, for Jaal’s sake. She greeted his mother with a large smile and gave her a hug.

“Nice to meet you. Jaal talks about you all the time.”

“And Jaal’s told me how much he admires you.”

Ryder glanced at Jaal to see how he would react to this motherly ambush. He held his countenance neutral at first, but when his mother continued her sales pitch, he became visibly embarrassed.

“He’s my favorite. Smart, loyal, kind. A great shot. Writes poetry, Sews..”

“Uh.. hrmph, mother..!”

He stared imploringly at her, and she returned his stare with a knowing smile.

“I’m late for a resistance meeting. Stay clear.”

 

Ryder tried not to smile to widely when Jaal explained that every child was her favorite, and purposefully ignored the more insinuating calls and hints from his family as they passed through the living room. Jaal smiled gratefully at her.

“Here’s my room. My tiny sanctuary.”

“We have a saying that I like. Home is where the heart is.”

“Hmph. I like that.”

The room was small and tidy, except for a box sitting on the bed. Jaal picked it up and opened it.

“Who put this here?”

Ryder peered inside.

“Schematics? Of..?”

“When I was seven, my aunt stole a kett weapon for me. So I took it apart. To learn.”

The other thing in the box was definitely not a schematic.

“And that is.. was..a karkyn?”

“Pet karkyn. Alfit. He died. So I also took him apart.”

Ryder winced. That was slightly disturbing.

“To learn?”

Jaal looked surprised. “Why not?”

She forced a smile and sat back. Jaal set the box aside and turned so they were face to face.

“I don’t show people these things.” He hesitated, then pushed ahead with his true intention.

“You make my heart sing.”

Ryder was again struck by the dark blue galaxies in his eyes. It was like floating away in a warm welcoming void.

“I want us to be together.”

The nervousness in his voice was palpable, and his earnest plea made _her_ heart sing. One, two, three heartbeats of hesitation, before she allowed herself to tell the truth.

“I would love to.”

Watching his doubt give way to certainty was like staring at the sun’s warmth. He laughed happily.

“Yes!”

She couldn’t help joining his heartfelt laughter. After their mirth stilled, Jaal cupped her face and became serious for a moment.

“I adore you.”

He leaned in slowly, seeking her lips. Ryder met him halfway, and the sensation sent sparkles through her body. It felt right. The kiss lasted a long time, and when they broke apart, it was with a mutual understanding of bond. Jaal became a little flustered.

“Ah, let me show you one more thing you might like. Lie down.”

“All right.” Ryder laid back in the place he motioned her to, and gazed at the ceiling. Jaal flicked a small switch and swiftly laid down beside her. The room filled with a three dimensional model of a galaxy, shining and glowing in the dark. Ryder was in awe.

“Beautiful. You made that?”

“Long ago. It’s not accurate. More of a dream, really. Just one more thing I want to take apart and figure out.” His sonorous voice sounded almost apologetic.

She snaked her fingers around his hand.

“This is more than good enough, Jaal. It’s wonderful.”

His smile lit up the dark room more than the galaxy above them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit, some of Ryder's dialogue in the romance-lock scene is just pure cringe. "Ah, Jaal," comes to mind, along with "Yeah, I'd like that." Just ugh. I took it apart and wrote something else. 
> 
> Fun fact, someone has been hard at work muddling canon in regard to krogan physiology. According to original canon, a krogan had two hearts, four lungs and four testicles. Due to lack of research, in Andromeda Drack states that krogan has four hearts, and someone has corrected that to say four in the wikia. I fucking hate that. Stop it!
> 
> I think the next chapter will be the last. Uncertain of when I'll have time to write it, since my boss is insisting on overtime again.


	14. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conspirators are revealed, Drack takes what he's owed, and the lovers do what they do best.. or worst.. ;)

In her tiny escape pod, Peebee was singing a false tune behind locked doors. Even after a few setbacks lately, everything was coming together. She’d squared things away with Kalinda, managed to repair Poc and Zap after Drack’s decimation, and the Tempest was now om it’s way back to Aya, on request of the biggest slowpoke in the universe, Jaal Ama Darav. And it it would be all about poking, judging from the bipolar changes between nervous fidgeting and wide eyed ogling of Ryder’s ass. The angara had finally found his courage, and he and Ryder had come to an ‘understanding.’ This was not enough for Gil, however, as he desperately tried to convince Peebee that they were just good friends. She grinned while welding together two circuits. The engineer was deluding himself. Even the blue harpy had picked up that something had changed, and Peebee had overheard her asking about intimate details about the pathfinder’s relationship, for science. Hah! Science her rigid turian ass. She was just as curious as the rest of them, but Peebee had refrained from asking questions about Ryder’s sex life for the moment. She was keenly aware that there was none, and she needed Jaal to seal the deal. Then, she would flay Gil for every credit he had, invest in a miniature Remnant machine and place it in Ryder’s bedroom. Problem solved, no need for questions, she’d have the truth live-streamed to her laptop. But first, to Aya, and the deflowering of Ryder’s alien innocence. She began to spray paint Poc with some camouflage pattern suited to the angara homeworld.

 

* * *

 

“They could be going for a bath,” Gil said in a high pitched voice as the remnant followed the pair at a distance. “Aya is very warm and sweaty, and Jaal is probably concerned with the smell.

“Don’t be an idiot, angara regulate heat through those neck flaps. They probably don’t sweat at all.”

“Ryder does,” Gil insisted. “Or maybe the angara has betrayed us. He’s in league with Akksul, taking Ryder into the jungle to murder her. We should intervene!”

“Aw, sore loser, are we? The only thing Jaal has betrayed is the spirit of good fashion sense, and Ryder is about to have the experience of a life time.”

“No sound, no proof,” Gil wheedled.

“When they stop, I’ll activate the microphones, stop whining. If your own equipment worked, maybe I’d let you complain.”

“My equipment works just fine, thank you very much,” Gil hissed. “Drack keeps sitting on it and squashing it, that’s not my fault!”

Too late he heard what he’d actually said, and Peebee hung over the rails in hysterical laughter.

“Shut up, you azure nightmare! You’ll attract his attention.”

“Ohohohoho, wouldn’t want him to come over and sit on your junk now, would we,” she said between gasps.

“Ryder never should have picked up all these strays,” Gil mumbled and stared at the screen.

Jaal and Ryder had arrived at the most beautiful waterfall they’d ever seen, and the angara gently placed his arms around her and whispered secrets in her ear.

“No sound, no proof,” Gil whispered.

“Just wait, let me..”

Poc sailed a little closer, and three small shakes indicated that the remnant set down three arms on the ground to function as a tripod. A small crackle followed, and audio flowed from the laptop.

 

“ _..reason, I’ve fallen in love with you. And I want to.. do you want to?”_

 

“Noooooo!” Gil groaned.

“Yes!! Yes! Yes! Yes! At long last! Gil Brodie, you are officially the loser of our little game, so pay up, every last credit!”

“Uh, would you take an IOU?”

“No! Transfer the credits, now. Don’t worry, if you can’t afford it, I’m sure Reyes will take you on as a lap-dancer, you can shake _your_ ass on Kadara in your weeks off. Ahahahaha!”

Gil transferred the last of his credits to their betting pad, and reluctantly held it out to Peebee. If he was a bad loser, she was a terrible winner.

“Ahahahaha, I am a Goddess, and you a mere underling! I will rule Helius with these credits, muhahaha!”

They glared at each other in mutual enmity, and failed to see the shadow that loomed over them both.

“I think not,” a deep voice growled.

A huge paw snatched the datapad from Gil’s grip and put it safely inside a mountain of bone armor.

“I thank the pair of you, for your generous donation to the Elaaden relief found for the restoration of New Tuchanka,” Drack said in his most self serving voice.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you two, and your shameful behavior for quite some time. These ill-gotten gains are hereby confiscated for the betterment of the krogan future. And we all want the krogan to have a future, right?” The menace in his tone was unmistakable.

“Uuh, fine,” Gil muttered.

“That’s not fair,” Peebee began, but was silenced by the blood red stare from Drack.

“And turn off that shit,” he snarled and pointed at the screen.

Poc had followed Ryder and Jaal to a cave under the waterfall, and they saw Jaal’s cock slither out of its sheath and snake itself up along Ryder’s leg to the apex of her thighs, sliding between them in a fluid motion as he kissed her deeply.

“Oh, wow,” Peebee sighed.

“Oh, fuck yeah. I need to get me an angara,” Gil groaned.

“Damned perverts,” Drack snarled and smashed the screen with his enormous fist. “If I see any more meddling in Ryder’s affairs, you’ll lose more than credits, am I making meself clear?”

“Yes, Nakmor Drack,” they chorused.

“Good.”

He turned around and lumbered off, leaving the two conspirators feeling oddly aroused and dissatisfied at the same time.

 

* * *

 

Peebee was crushed. She was now skint, and while Gil could earn credits by playing high stakes poker, she would have to do something creative to get her credits back, something which did not include any kind of visit to Kadara. She opened her second laptop and searched the content. Perhaps something in the data mined from Meridian? She had been on the verge of a breakthrough when Drack had destroyed her remnants. Peebee plugged Zap into the translation program to boost the power, and sat back with a sigh. Words started to appear on the page before her, Jardaan, template, new world, adaptability, genetic diversity, purpose, snippets of a past yet to be recovered. Peebee blinked at a few words repeating often on the page. Reconfiguration and adaption. In relation to what? Cluster spread. Evolution. Reunion. Possibility. Adaption again. Peebee stared at the screen until her head hurt, and she dropped her forehead to the keyboard with a bang. Stupid angara. Stupid Drack. Stupid Ryder. And that bloody awful Gil, they could all just-..

She sat up with a jolt and stared at the screen again. A spark of genius connected the dots in the sparse material before her, and she started to grin madly. If this was true, then.. It would be a remarkable scientific study, and only she knew of it’s inception and background. She could make a fortune with this! Peebee noted the date and set a timer on her lap top, then started to furiously make notes. It probably wouldn’t take immediately, but if observed behavior was any indicator, the adaptation process would accelerate as their proximity continued. Mad giggles escaped her lips, and she checked to see if the door was still locked. She would still be a Goddess.

 

* * *

 

_**11 months later** _

“I really can’t catch a break, can I,” Ryder sighed and laid back on the examination table. “We beat the Archon, have a functioning relationship with the angara and a halting one with Elaaden, and for all my troubles, I get sick?”

“It’s not that bad,” Lexi said soothingly, “it’s probably a minor infection.”

The doctor started the scan, and her calm demeanor was replaced with one of shock.

“By the Goddess. By the great Goddess. This is.. not possible.”

“A lager infection?” Ryder said, alarmed.

“Goddess, Goddess, Goddess.”

“I think we have established that,” Ryder said sarcastically, “what of my survival rates?”

“I think.. I think.. I have to call Jaal.”

The asari paled to an almost turquoise color as she summoned Jaal, and Ryder stared at the ceiling. Was she to drop dead the next minute? Lexi was acting very out of character.

Not even a minute had passed, before Jaal burst through the door.

“Darling one! Are you ill?!”

“Apparently, although my doctor deemed it appropriate to call you before telling me.” She glared at Lexi.

“I have no explanation for this, but you’re not ill. You’re pregnant.”

Ryder’s jaw dropped to her chest, but Jaal’s face started to shine like a supernova.

“Children? My dearest, how wonderful!” A slight frown appeared on his face and he turned to Lexi.

“They are mine?”

“Affirmative,” SAM chimed in. “I detect a presence of both human and angara DNA.”

“And why haven’t you said so earlier?” Ryder barked.

“Condition unusual. Needed more data.”

“I must call my mother,” Jaal said emphatically and ran out of the room.

“Wait, we need to.. There he goes,” Ryder sighed.

“This is a wonderful moment for science.” Lexi had finally found her equilibrium again. “This is groundbreaking and pioneering work for the future of Heleus. Truly the way of-..”

“Don’t you dare say pathfinder,” Ryder growled. “I doubt my father intended me to trailblaze quite like this.”

“As you say,” Lexi smiled. “Let me run a few more tests.”

15 minutes later, Jaal reappeared smiling like a sun.

“My mother sends her warmest greetings and says she wishes to be informed of the time of delivery, so she can gather the family.””

“Gather the family?” Ryder gave him a suspicious look.

“Oh yes. While conception is private, the delivery of new family members is a public family affair. My mother has watched the vids of human childbirth, and says she’ll prepare the family for blood, screams and repeated threats that I am an abhorrent angara and will never be allowed to touch you intimately again.”

“Oh god..”

“She says the family will be understanding. It only seems fair that the father be inflicted with mental pain as long as the mother is suffering so much physical pain.”

“Oh god..”

“She would also like to know how many of your family and friends will be attending the birthing ceremony.”

“Oh… my… god..”

“Forgive me, I was under the impression that only Suvi believed in a supernatural being. Have you acquired a new faith?”

“Are you serious? You want the whole family present while I scream my head off?”

“Well, the screaming part will be new to us, but it is normal for the family to be present and take care of each newborn as they come out, so as the mother can concentrate on singing the birthing song.”

Ryder stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time.

“Each newborn?”

Lexi studied the scans again.

“Looks like four, but they’re still quite small. Might be five.”

Ryder crawled up to a sitting position and pointed an accusing finger at Jaal.

“A litter?! You’ve put a litter inside me?

“Darling one, it’s natural adaptation. The angaran worlds are harsh and unforgiving, the natural thing is for the female to carry many-..”

“Oh god. Oh god.” Ryder started to breath faster.

“I think she’s hyperventilating. We might have to sedate her.” Lexi picked up a syringe.

“No!” Jaal almost shouted, “don’t hurt the pups.”

Ryder’s breath hitched as she glared at her darling angara.

“Pups? Pups!? Why I oughta-...”

 

 

Gil and Peebee shared sadistic smiles as the audio feed from the Med Bay screeched and howled in unison with Ryder’s voice. This was better than any silly turian vid Liam could track down.

“Soo, a hundred credits say she will blast out a piece of the Tempest while trying to murder him,” Peebee grinned.

“No! You can’t bet on that! You’ll jinx my ship!” Gil gave her a disapproving stare.

“Fine, 200 credits say she’ll use her _bi-ot-ics_ on him before 30 minutes have passed.”  
Gil chuckled. “I’ll take that bet. 300 credits say he’ll have to hide under that tactical cloak of his the whole way to the Nexus.”

“Done!”

“What are you two up to?” Drack said in a suspicious voice. How could half a ton of krogan move that silently.

“Nothing,” Peebee said innocently. “Can we help you, Drack?”

“’s a matter of fact, yes. I need the call frequency for Ryder’s mother in law. Any of you got it?”

“I do,” Gil said, poker face on, “has anything happened?”

“Nah, just something might just happen real soon,” Drack replied. “Nothing for the two of you to get involved with. And no more bets, ya hear?”

When he’d lumbered away, Gil turned back to Peebee. “Grave bodily harm within three hours, 400 credits.”

“Threats to disembowel within 2 hours, crying within 3 and hefty partial makeup-sex within 6 hours, 1000 credits,” Peebee countered.

“That's’ a rather specific bet,” Gil said and raised an eyebrow.

“Hence the high stakes. But if you’re too chicken, I can always return those hundreds of emails with eggs you can print out and stuff up your butt,” Peebee goaded.

“Oh you’re on. I’ll be a rich man and buy my own planet. Care to bet on the crier?”

“70/30 favoring Jaal.”

Gil tapped his fingers on the console. “With four to five pups inside? Nah. 60/40 favoring Ryder.”

They grinned at each other.

“Can you remember a life before Jaal?” Gil asked Peebee.

There was a loud crash and some floating chairs appeared in the hallway.

“200 credits my way. And nope, I can’t. Must’ve been pretty boring, even with the kett around."

“ _But darling one, I adore you. And our pu-… children!”_ Jaal’s was back on comms, voice was verging on tears.

“Ah, damn. Can I change my bet?” Gil pleaded.

“Nope! Payback’s a bitch, Gil.” Peebee flashed him a very toothy grin.

Jaal would not be the only one crying by the end of the day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we've reached the end, and boy did this thing drag out further than I had intended. 6-7 chapters, I told myself during Easter, but noo, I doubled that estimate and kept on writing.  
> Hope you've enjoyed the story XD


	15. The birthing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time: Ryder is about to have Jaal's children, and everyone is invited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had several requests for this scene, and since I aim to please, the birth of Ryder's pups :D

“Testing, testing, one, two, three. Yup, sound is fine,” Scott grinned and turned the recording device around. “Now, if we could only get the lighting right. Don’t wanna miss a thing when my nephews and nieces enter this galaxy.”

“Scott, if you point that camera in places that are not meant for public viewing, there will be a funeral shortly after today,” Ryder snarled from the bed. The contractions were more frequently, but instead of letting her breathe, her brother was crowding her with the camera, and her angaran in-laws were setting up a singing or chanting circle to help her with the delivery, Finn, Lathoul, Teviint, Baranj and all the others. After months of begging and pleading, Jaal had finally talked her into having the children in the traditional angaran fashion, but she’d put her foot down when they wanted to sit in a circle around her bed. Not while she commanded this ship.

Sahuna Ama Darav walked in like a queen with her nervous son in tow and sat at the head of the circle.

“We are ready,” she announced and looked expectantly at Ryder. She gave Jaal a push to signal that he should be standing at his mates side during her ordeal.

“Yeah, like humans can just shove kids out like a conveyor belt,” Drack growled in a corner. He was not happy about being there, but a snarky comment about making one’s bed and laying in it had come to Ryder’s attention, and he was duly appointed “godfather” and “Keeper of decency” at the ceremony, which meant he was tasked with ensuring that her brother behaved with that damn camera and that Jaal wasn’t accidentally killed by the future mother.

Gil and Peebee was conspicuously absent, while Cora sat in a corner with Liam and they were halfway down a bottle of vodka already. Vetra was busy sending the scream by scream rundown to her sister by messages.

The angara started their chanting, and Ryder had to give it too them, the song was rather soothing. That was, until her body signaled it’s readiness to expel Jaal’s numerous ‘pups’ from her womb.

“Yaaaarrrgghhh!”

“Ooh, now it begins for real,” Scott said frantically and zoomed the camera on her face. “Hang in there Sarah, you got this.”

“I got this?!” she panted. “Five bl-… five kids, and you think-!! Aaaarrggh!”

“Darling one, you’re so brave,” Jaal ventured after a slap from Drack. “I will be by your side until-.. Oooowww!!”

It was Jaal’s turn to scream. Ryder had gripped his three fingered hand so hard he could hear the crunching sound.

Sahuna stopped her singing and stared reproachfully at her son. “Jaal, do not shout at the bearer of your children. It is unbecoming of an Ama Darav.”

“But mother, she-..”

“Be supportive,” she said sagely and began her song again.

“Sarah, I think we have enough dilation for the first one to pass through,” Lexi said. “They are quite small.”

“Oh thank gAAAARRGGHH!”

“Iiih.” That small outburst was all Jaal afforded himself. Being squeezed between his mother’s disproving stare and the reptilian glare behind him, he had to pretend his fingers weren’t all that important to him. And he did have his other hand, what did it matter that the love of his life were crushing his trigger fingers?

“I think I see the head,” Lexi announced. “One more push.”

The chanting increased in volume, and Scott was bouncing around with his camera as Ryder gave another push and a small screeching sound filled the room.

“Congratulations, Sarah, Jaal, your first baby boy. Jaal, would you do the honor?”

“What? What honor?” Jaal looked around desperately for a hint, but Ryder was trying to get a moments rest and everyone else was busy with either getting drunk or recording.

Lexi smiled. “It’s customary for humans that the father cuts the umbilical cord.”

“You mean, it’s still attached? Not reabsorbed by the mother?” he asked incredulously.

“No, the mother is not angara, as you should well know. Come over here.”

Jaal carefully wrested his fingers away from Ryder and gingerly walked over to Lexi’s end.

“Here he is.” She held up a sky blue angara boy, covered in what Jaal could only surmise was Ryder’s birth fluids and blood.

“Uuh,” he muttered. “Angara usually do this in water. Less.. uh.. blood and slime.”

“Slime?!” Ryder was getting ready for another child, but that comment stung.

“Easy, Sarah. He’s just being an idiot,” Drack growled. “Cut the damn cord and get back here, or else.”

“All right, all right.” Jaal picked up the scissors and carefully cut through the cord. He winced at the snipping sound, but it didn’t seem to hurt the screeching pup at all. Lexi expertly tied it up, then placed the boy in the trembling father’s hands.

“Next one is on the way. Move along.”

“Yes.” Jaal stared at his firstborn son as if he couldn’t get enough of him. “Little stargazer. So beautiful. So.. much.. blood.” He stumbled and felt himself go faint.

He heard quick heavy footsteps behind him and a powerful grip seized him around the neck, while a smaller figure jumped in front of him and grabbed his son.

“Don’t drop my nephew!” Scott hissed and cradled the boy with a possessive glare.

“Ain’t you in the resistance?” Drack scoffed behind him. “Blood resistance should be mandatory.”

“But he’s my son,” Jaal wheezed. Drack’s grip on his rofjinn was beginning to suffocate him.

“Enough! Give the boy to me, I will ensure his safety while my son regains his footing.” Sahuna had arrived with an air that would brook no opposition.

“Don’t drop him,” Scott said and gently handed the blue boy over. The pup cooed at his uncle. “Aw, he knows me already.”

“He smells family. Now, you have four other pups to bring into the world,” Sahuna said and gave Jaal a stern glance. Right on cue Ryder gave another scream. Jaal hesitated going over there. He still felt the pain in his hand.

“Get a move on, kid,” Drack growled and gave him a shove that sent the angara flying towards the bed.

“Darling one,” he croaked after getting up. “Are you in pain?”

To his surprise, Ryder didn’t try to kill him.

“SAM is redirecting endorphins to counteract the pain,” she panted. “How’s our boy?”

“He’s lovely, just like his mother,” Jaal whispered and naively offered his hand again.

“Good. Oh, god, here comes another contraction.”

“What? Uh, my hand,” he tried, but Ryder was already crushing his fingers and trying to breathe according to Lexi’s instructions.

Jaal found himself trying to breathe the same way to alleviate the pain. It didn’t help that he heard Drack chuckle in the corner, or that Scott was currently zooming in on his face and giving a running commentary.

“I see the next one,” Lexi announced. “One more push, Sarah.”

Ryder whimpered through another push, and another screeching voice filled the room.

“Yes, I know, I know,” Jaal said before Drack got his hands on him. “Cut the cord.”

The second time went a lot easier, and Jaal found himself face to face with his first daughter. She had his colors, but Sarah’s eyes, and when his own mother came to take her away to be sung to, he almost refused to give her up.

“Come on, Jaal,” Scott said. “let grandma have her. We have three more to go.”

“We have?!” Ryder gasped from the bed. “How much work are you doing, Scott Ryder?!”

“Hey, this camera is heavy,” Scott grinned. “And your screaming hurts my ears.”

Ryder turned her read sweaty face to Drack.

“Kill him. That’s a direct order.”

“Hey now,” Scott said and backed away.

“Later,” Drack said calmly. “I’ll get him afterwards.”

“Ahaha, that’s not comforting,” Scott pleaded. “Come on, sis...”

Ryder was already struggling with another set of contractions, and Jaal was deprived of his daughter and shunted up to Ryder’s side. He gave his mother a withering stare, which she soundly ignored. This was the new generation of Ama Daravs, and the father had his set of duties to perform. The rest should be left with her and the other mothers.

 

* * *

 

“That’s two,” Gil said. “One boy and one girl. Final count still in the air.”

“I told you, two boys and three girls.” Peebee looked at the datapad with all the bets they’d set up.

“Nah, three boys and two girls. We all know this is a manly environment, bound to have more boys.”

“Don’t be a moron, oh wait, what am I sayin’, you _are_ a moron.” Peebee rolled her eyes. “Besides, every simulation I’ve run says two boys. Better get your credit chit ready.”

“Oh, I dunno. Looks like I’m winning the Liam bet.” Gil pressed a button, and the surveillance feed for the birthing room appeared. “Looks like SAM is too busy with stabilizing Ryder than stopping us from prying.”

In the corner, Liam was humming, or rather, trying to him, old Irish folk-songs to Cora. He was effectively drowned out by the angara, whom added another voice to their choir whenever Liam got too loud.

“Another girl,” Gil said as Jaal cut the third cord. “Purple and cute.”

“Hmm.. You can’t say this to Jaal, but it think the first boy looked like Evfra.”

Gil and Peebee both started to giggle.

“Oh, wouldn’t that be a bet. Sadly, we haven’t been that often to Aya.”

“Wait, what is this?” Peebee said and scrolled down to a dark line in the betting pool.

“Hmm? Oh, that. Kallo wanted in, and he made a bet on the ratio of boys and girls, but he wanted to keep it hidden. It’s not the same as any of ours, so I said okay.”

“I don’t trust that sneaky salarian,” Peebee said.

“Nor do I, but-.. Look, number four!”

Ryder and Jaal screamed in unison as their fourth child was born. The happy father had to use his left hand to perform his duty this time, as the right hung limp from the wrist.

“Boy,” Gil said as soon as Lexi had tied the cord. “Aw, dark blue with a lighter face.”

“That.. is pretty cute actually,” Peebee conceded.

“Oh, getting into the matron stage already?” Gil grinned.

“Shut up, you git! Kids are noisy and bothersome, and five at once? Ugh, never.”

“Speak for yourself. Kids are fun, and I’m going to be a great uncle.”

“Thinking of ousting Scott?”

“Nah, more like.. teamwork,” Gil said with a distant smile.

“Teamw-.. Wait a minute.” Peebee hissed.

“Two boys, two girls, next one decides the bet.”

Peebee reluctantly dropped the question. There were credits on the line.

“Look, Jaal is refusing to let the kid go.”

They looked at the newly minted dad as he was scolded into submission by his mother and Drack, and he had to give away his second son to the proud grandmama.

“I think adhering to the rituals of your people is a lot easier when they aren’t your kids,” Gil mused. “Anyway, it won’t be for long.”

The pair watched Ryder crumple the railings on the bed with her biotics as the last child came. In Ryder’s visitor’s corner, Cora had to hoist Liam in a fireman’s carry and drag his drunk ass out of the room.

“This one is lasting longer than the others,” Gil said anxiously. “Do you think something is wrong?”

“I hope not,” Peebee said in a worried voice. “Lexi doesn’t look scared yet, and-..oh, something is happening.”

 

On the screen, they could see Lexi reach under the sheets and use some strange biotic technique that had Ryder howling in pain. Jaal was reduced to two large nervous eyes flicking between the mother of his children and the blue torturer apparent by her feet. The singing circle never missed a tune.

Finally, Lexi smiled and pulled, and the last pup was pulled free of the mother. Except it wasn’t one. It was a pair, following each other like two beads on a string, the last one significantly smaller than the first. Girl and boy.

“Six?” Peebee coughed. “Six?”

“Oh no,” Gil groaned. “I can only bet what Kallo’s bet was.”

He stared at the datapad, which had just unveiled Kallo’s wager. Six pups, three boys, three girls. The credit wager was enormous.

“And you accepted that bet?” Peebee screeched? “We both have to chip in to cover this!”

“Who would’ve guessed six? I mean, Lexi always said four or five..”

“I hate you, Gil Brodie, and I hope Scott dumps you.” Peebee barked and stomped out.

“Now, that’s not fair,” he said and hurried after her to secure her half of the payment. “No need to be rude..”

 

* * *

 

Three hours later, Ryder and Jaal was laying quietly in her large bed, with their six children cradled around them. Jaal had a discreet bandage on his right hand, and Ryder had apologized several times for it. He had assured her that their kids were apology enough, and he couldn’t gaze long enough on any of them, nor the mother.

“I know this was hard for you, darling one, but I love you for it. And look at the result. Six beautiful p-.. children, the start of our family.”

“The start,” Ryder said with a tired raised eyebrow. “This isn’t enough?”

“Do you think they are enough?” Jaal smiled and let his oldest daughter grip his finger.

“For a while, perhaps,” Ryder smiled and kissed her mate.

“Speaking of family,” Jaal chuckled. “You haven’t revoked Scott’s death sentence. Drack is still looking for him.”

“Let him feel fear for a few more hours,” Ryder smiled. “Him and Gil both. I know Gil had another betting pool going.”

“I have confiscated the camera,” Jaal said and pulled out the recording device. “What shall we do with it?”

“Put in in that drawer,” she pointed. “I’ll look at it the next time you start talking about more kids.”

“Six is enough for this year.”

“This year, yes, but is it enough for a lifetime?” He gazed at her with large blue eyes, and with her cooing ‘pups’ around them, Ryder felt her resolve weaken.

“Not if that lifetime is spent with you.”

Jaal’s smile shone like the morning sun on Eos, and he leaned over and kissed her passionately. Ryder leaned her forehead to his and whispered “I love you,” as she slipped into a deep sleep. Jaal very carefully tucked her in and pulled all their pups around himself to keep them warm. Sarah had done most of the work earlier today. Tonight, he would be the guardian and protector of his family.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Jaal comes off as a bit daft in this chapter, but I've seen grown-ass rational men become quite feather brained when they are about to become dads :D


End file.
